Comparison Between Common and Complex Readers - Essay Example

A Comparison Between Common and Complex Readers In “The Loss of the Creature”, Walker Percy talks ambiguously about a number of things including the common reader and the complex reader. He uses stories to animate his writing and does not directly tell his audience what he is talking about. He uses a lot of illustrations to get his point across so that readers have difficulty identifying his thesis. Nevertheless, one will still be able to understand what he is driving at when the reading is over. Regarding readers, the author categorizes them as common and complex. As mentioned earlier, the writer is ambiguous in his presentation so that one cannot actually directly identify his definitions as pertaining to reading only rather his illustrations are definitions of different issues such as readers, consumers and planners. According to Percy, a common reader is one who is often seen doing the common things, looking at the obvious. In reading, one is considered common when he simply understands the words and interprets them literally. The common reader does not understand beyond the meanings of the words but is only able to see the picture of what is suggested by the written words. In Percy’s illustration, a reader can see the common reader in the tourist who goes to the Grand Canyon and appreciates its beauty in comparison with how it should look like as portrayed in post cards and books. He has no other intention but to go there to appreciate and experience the beauty that people talked about. Therefore, when his expectations are met, he is satisfied and happy about it. Otherwise, he would think he came at the wrong time and considers returning to the scene at a different time of the day or year until his expectations are met. In other words, the common reader is not at all creative. He only sees what others suggest and will not try to discover what he might also be able to observe and comprehend from what he witnesses or reads. On the other hand, a complex reader is one who reads between the lines. He does not only interpret meanings from the written words but find other meanings of the written word by examining the author’s technique of writing, perhaps even familial, religious and cultural backgrounds which might give some clue to what is being said in-depth. A complex reader is able to find other reasons for his reading and other activities. For instance, in the aforementioned example cited by the writer, he points to the man who did not just go to the Grand Canyon to view the majestic image seen on postcards but he also goes there to plan the murder he was about to execute. In other words, the complex reader has multiple reasons for reading a certain book. For example, when a mother is a complex reader, she does not only go through the menu book to look for a recipe that her children might want to try. Rather, she would look through the pages with other intentions such as considering what recipes she probably may experiment on, find what could be healthy for the family, take note of possible substitutes for unavailable ingredients or even find out what kinds of people eat certain kinds of food. The complex reader has a multi-faceted goal in doing his tasks. The common reader, based from the term would be those who do what is commonly done by the greater number of people. They follow the norm. They read just like any reader does, examining only the superficial. On the contrary, the complex reader examines the words in-depth. For instance, when a common reader runs across the phrase “red dress”, he imagines a red dress which he has seen his wife or daughter wear. However, when a complex reader sees the phrase, he would interpret it not only as an image of a red dress but would also see the woman wearing the dress. The woman wearing the dress may look lascivious to the reader because the red is not only understood as a color but also as a symbol for lust and passion. She might also be seen in the mind of the reader as a woman who is extremely happy and head over heels in love with a man as suggested again, by the color red. In other words, the complex reader does not just look at one phase of his experience unlike the common reader who is focused on just the obvious things. The common reader according to the author is a layman who, in relation to what was mentioned earlier, simply wants to experience and satisfy his needs. Since the Grand Canyon is greatly advertised as a nice place to visit, being there with other tourists, experiencing and enjoying the view would already be enough for the common reader. The complex reader on the other hand will not be satisfied by simply being there. He is an expert so he will be able to see with observant eyes other things which may not be even noticed by other people. There is something that he wants to experience further, something uncommon and different. Therefore, he does not get satisfied by visiting the Grand Canyon unless he finds out something he did not read about in books or magazines. Perhaps he would find another venue from where he could see the renowned tourist spot with a new perspective. The complex reader is a planner so that knowing what to expect at the Grand Canyon, he will make detailed notes about alternative activities or venues for his visit. The common reader is also simple in his ways. When he goes to a tourist spot as the writer mentions, he does not stop to appreciate the changing clouds that make different photographs of the Grand Canyon. Rather, he takes pictures of the Grand Canyon which is already commonly known throughout the world because of past photographs taken by past tourists and photographers. However, the complex reader will stand behind the common viewer and analyze what could be meant by what he sees. When the sky during sunset is read, the common reader might simply say, “Wow! What a wonderful sunset”. On the contrary, the complex reader will plan to camp and have a barbecue party because he interprets the red sky as a sign of a good night for an outdoor activity. Analysis was mentioned earlier. This is absent among common readers while it is a defining characteristic of the complex reader. The common reader does not try to understand or question what he sees because he does not analyze. What he sees is enough for him. He is simply a consumer who enjoys what is given to him. Nevertheless, the complex reader will ask every question and does his best to have them all answered. He attends to details and examines closely the relationships of things and events. He gives meanings to what he observes and uses them to his advantage. With such inclinations, the complex reader tends to do more than what the common reader does. When the common reader wakes up at 6 in the morning because the tour guide says the view is spectacular when the sun rises, the complex reader wakes up at 4. He expects more things to happen while others are still asleep. He wants to see how the darkness fades as the sun rises. He will know if the rest of the day will be good when he sees the sun rising behind the clouds and he would also know when he needs to go home early because it is going to rain in the afternoon. In conclusion, a common reader is a layman without any expertise and like every layman, he is common. He is inexperienced so that he wants to experience what others already experienced and expects to get acquainted with his environment just the way others have done. The common reader experiences to appreciate and approve of what has been long approved. On the other hand, the complex reader is a planner and an expert. He is able to see things that are not visible to the common reader. He knows what to expect and so he plans other things to make his journey or reading more adventurous and meaningful. He analyzes his situations. More importantly, he asks questions in order to understand further the things that he sees. He always sees beyond the obvious. Read More