milk shake

Cassie Sullivan
Reflective Essay
Dr. Cox


Steven Leveen once stated from The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life “A single book at the right time can change our views dramatically, give a quantum boost to our knowledge, help us construct a whole new outlook on the world and our life. Isn't it odd that we don't seek those experiences more systematically?” I could not agree with him more.
Reading and writing give meaning and identity to life and are resources for everyday life. I would not be the person I am today without the knowledge I have gained from just picking up a newspaper, glancing at an online article or indulging in a good book. It is the experiences you gain from a good read that are crucial to becoming who you are as a person but more importantly, an individual.
Reading has affected my life on many different levels. Starting from when I was a child to present reading has been an important facet of my life. I was brought up in a house that enforced reading as a regular pastime; this is something I am truly grateful for. To this day reading has a huge impact on my day to day life. I can not imagine living in a world where I would not be able to comprehend what is written in front of me, not being able to educate my self about the trials and triumphs of the world we live in and possibly most importantly not being able to spend an entire Sunday just reading.
Reading has particularly influenced my views on politics and the world. Through debate I have been taught to question my ideas and not just accept them for what they are. The only true way to do this is through reading about other individuals thoughts on the issues. The importance of this is that it does a few things to increase the amount of knowledge that I have as a person. Reading other people’s work who disagree with you can strengthen your own viewpoint, sway you to believe something different and possibly more intelligent or just educate you on what others believe, just to name a few.
There have been quite a few pieces of literature that have greatly influenced my life but Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut has been by far the most influential. Cat’s Cradle introduced me to a new way to view and think about religion and life. That is something that I could not have gain from any other outlet aside from reading. This is because reading provides an objective way for the reader to think about what the book is actually saying without outside influence. Some other pieces of literature that have influenced me in a similar way are Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill and the countless number of informative articles I have read for debate.


reflective essay… consider life as a reader and writer and as a student of both
how has it effected me?
appreciation of skills
works of literature or writing assignments that have important tome
how do you expect the literature and composition study you have done to affect your life in the future—personal, social or career