My Lens

           My room very much symbolizes me and who I am as a person. It’s my personal space where I am free to express what I like without any consideration to what other thinks. As I sat on my bed pondering what makes up my “critical lens,” I simply looked around the walls of my room and found the answers I was seeking.

Alice in Wonderland Poster: An antique hanging in my room is my “Alice in Wonderland” Poster. As a child, I had an obsession with Alice and this movie—I was even Alice for Halloween multiple years! To me, this poster symbolizes my curiosity and “why” complex which I often bring into analysis. It comes in two different forms: 1. The Innocent Child Questions and 2. The Rebellious Teenager Defiance. I’ve always been a naturally curious child. In literature, I always question “why” they wrote this or “why” their tone of voice is such a way. As I’ve grown older, I’ve also gained a more “defiant” tone, as my mother so sweetly puts it. I am often eager to analyze in a way different from normal interpretations of pieces, thinking “why” does it have to mean what they say?

Bible Verses: On my wall, I have different Bible verses written out. I know this may sound cliché, but starting the day off reading the word of God truly makes a HUGE difference. It is a constant reminder that this life is not just about ME. Looking at the verses around my walls, it’s extremely evident that Christianity and my relationship with Christ hugely influence how I see the world and analyze literature. I’m constantly seeing parallels to scripture and creating Christian morals to secular stories because Christianity plays such a significant role within my life.

Rosie the Riveter Poster: As a child, before I even knew what this poster meant—I insisted on getting it for my room. And it’s been there ever since. Though I did not know the historical context to Rosie and her “We Can Do It” encouragement, to me, she was a symbol of a REAL, AMERICAN woman. This symbolizes my “American Woman” lens I often see things through. To be completely honest, I LOVE my country and I tend to have a biased towards her. Though I recognize America has many faults, I still feel the need to defend my homeland against what I consider treacherous slander.

Piggy Bank and Antique Doll: Both very dear pieces mean so much to me. Both were presents from my parents and display how much I value both their opinions. The piggy bank and doll symbolize my family’s influence on my life, and essentially my “Conservative” lens. Being raised on a Conservative home, I have natural tendency’s on I view things both morally and economically. This plays a big role on how I analyze pieces of literature that deal with society, too. Also, both objects are aimed toward “young” children. This also symbolizes my innocent and young outlook. Though I have experienced hurt and heart break, I have also been very sheltered and have yet to experience life on my own! Because of my young age, my analysis is often limited to how I feel and have experienced or what my parents have taught me.

Pictures of people: Any empty space on my walls is literally covered with pictures. People have played a huge role in my life, and in general, I love people! This symbolizes what I consider my “Biographical” way of looking at literature. I’m very interested in knowing what the author was going through or why they wrote it. There must be a reason! Something must have happened, and they must have one meaning! I truly believe each author wrote their piece with one intention in mind. People have made different interpretations, but by looking at the author’s life, the true meaning most likely can be found. I like knowing THE truth.