When We Discuss We Discover
Written by Sophie Kolars
In college while I was taking my required classes for my English minor, I vividly remember feeling so out of place among the other students. The professor would begin the class by pointing out important aspects of the book that we should know, but the rest of the class was driven by group discussion. The professor would take notes of this discussion and post them in a Google Doc along with his lecture notes so that we could go back and look at them later. We would take turns going around the room and sharing our findings, asking questions, and talking about what we thought about the text.
It seemed that everyone else besides me had found very wise things to say or intense underlying metaphors in these books, whereas at times I only found words as they were presented to me, lying flat on my page. In my search for something to say to the class that would be deemed smart, I would end up not understanding what I was reading at all, and become frustrated with myself and the text. Looking back, I wish I would have let myself be led with wonder about what I was reading, and ask genuine questions about the things I didn’t understand.
While this did intimidate me, time and time again I found myself fascinated with the ideas my classmates were connecting, claims they were maintaining, and their conclusions about the book. At times I would think, “how did I not think of that before!”, or, “why would they ever think that?” Whether it was a point I agreed or disagreed with, I always left that class amused and with a greater knowledge of the book, its characters, and my classmates.
Because our class focused heavily on discussion, new truths emerged that I believe wouldn’t have been there had the professor stood there and lectured us on everything we should know about the book from the start. It took time for me to absorb what we were learning, and having genuine conversations about it with my classmates allowed me to take the material apart piece by piece to understand and form my own opinions.
When we discuss in a group setting, as we do at every Well-Read Mom meeting, we open up ourselves to new pockets of truth and a deeper insight of who or what we are discussing based on individual backgrounds, thought processes, faith journeys, etc. One may resonate with the character of Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but another may connect to Quasimodo’s life. Although these two characters have surprisingly a lot in common, they have different ways of viewing and interacting with the world. By discussing these similarities and differences in a group, you may leave with a different view of those people you are with, one that may be more well-rounded and full.
This kind of connection opens up a door to greater intimacy with others, that is only really truly achieved by reading and analyzing from multiple perspectives. When we discuss literature from our unique viewpoint, we gain a deeper understanding, an empathy, and a fascination with the world and the people around us. We can’t possibly know deeply every aspect of the human condition, since we are given our own unique way of living and set of struggles, strengths, and belief systems. However, reading books, and discussing them with others has always been a way for people to learn about information that otherwise may not have been available to them based on culture, region, religion, etc.
Isn’t this one of the purposes of reading, to pull from the depths of ourselves the purse strings of belief and knowledge, and vulnerably share it with others to feel connected and known? We should all aim to continuously discuss literature in a group setting (although sometimes you may feel intimidated and out of place), to learn about and connect with others in our community.
About Sophie Kolars
Sophie Kolars graduated from Benedictine College with a degree in Journalism & Communications in 2023. She currently works for St. Bridget Parish in River Falls, Wisconsin as a Communications Coordinator. She enjoys writing poetry and spending time in nature.
About Well-Read Mom
In Well-Read Mom, women read more and read well. Our hope is to deepen the awareness of meaning hidden in each woman’s daily life, elevate the cultural conversation, and revitalize reading literature from books. If you would like to have us help you select worthy reading material, we invite you to join and read along with us. We are better together! For information on how to start or join a Well-Read Mom group visit our website wellreadmom.com
