Sophie's Literary Moments

My golden experience (Reading Literature Privately)
The Goldfinch, written by Donna Tartt, was the first really challenging book I read on my own time. Eloquent and complicated (and very, very long), The Goldfinch really pushed me and changed the types of books that I aspire to read. The end of the novel was full of memorable quotes of self-doubt, identity, passion, and the purpose of life. I ended up marking and annotating quite a few passages, an activity I had previously only done in school books and utterly rejected in my own reading. But The Goldfinch conveyed such powerful messages so beautifully, and inspired me push my limits when it comes to literature.

Perfect vs. Good, and the Power to Choose (Discussing Literature) 
In my junior year AP Language and Composition class, we read one of my now-favorite books: John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Although the novel is wonderful and powerful when read alone, the discussions in class really broadened my understanding of what Steinbeck was trying to communicate. One especially memorable quote that we discussed was when Abra tells Cal: "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." When I first started the novel, I did not understand why that quote was so special, but through our discussions of 'timshel' and good vs. evil, it became one of my favorite literary quotes ever.

My experience with Beloved (Sublime Literary Experience)
Toni Morrison's masterpiece Beloved was a novel that truly shook me to the core. The descriptions of slavery and the challenges faced by African Americans in the United States, combined with the downright creepy subject matter of the novel, really freaked me out, but in the best way. Sometimes the ideas did get to the point where I had to put the book down and take a break, but I truly think that reading Beloved greatly contributed to my understanding of post-Civil War America and the evils of the slave trade.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... (Memorization of Literature) 
Freshman year of high school, I memorized Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" for my English class. Though I did not expect this at the time, I still have the poem (mostly) memorized today, and I like to remember it when I am faced with a decision. I truly have tried to live by the values communicated by Robert Frost, and they have encouraged me to take the road less traveled.

Theatre where Shakespeare's company performed (Theatrical Experience)
I have never been the biggest fan of Shakespeare's plays, but while I was studying abroad in London last spring, I had the opportunity to watch The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe Theatre. Although it was over 2 hours of uncomfortable standing in the cold and rain, I really felt transported and fascinated with Shakespeare's works as I had never been before. It was an experience so different than simply reading the play or watching it performed by a rudimentary high school cast.

The book is always better than the movie (Cinematic Literary Experience)
Reading To Kill a Mockingbird in my English class was probably the highlight of my freshman year. We also watched the movie as we read, and I developed an appreciation for the book even more. Although the 1962 movie is not the greatest movie ever, it allowed me to visualize and comprehend the messages communicated in the book on a deeper level.