It's always a bit surprising to me when a television show can spark some kind of deep intellectual discussion or reflection. I don't know if that's due to my cynicism about the quality of television or something else entirely but regardless, sometimes it's nice to be surprised when Glee relights a distant train of thought such as the question of who stories belong to.
John Green was the first to introduce me to the idea that books belong to their readers. Due to that resilient idea, writers like Lemony Snicket and J.D. Salinger amaze me.* To stay completely detached from your readers, letting your only medium be your works of writing, seems very brave to me. Especially these days, when readers are only 140 characters, a blog comment or an email away from a lot of the authors who inspire them. But a short conversation after watching Glee last night was all it took to cement my belief that books do belong to their readers, just as songs belong to their listeners and words belong to their interpreters.
Something that's recently irked me about Taylor Swift is how she posts something of a story behind each of her songs on her website. For whatever reason, I'm guiltily addicted to them. Sometimes it's nice to hear that there's meaning behind the catchy lyrics that I'm always singing along to while I wash dishes.
At the same time, though, it takes me away from the song. Rather than being allowed to feel connected and related to someone else, I feel like I'm listening to Taylor Swift's story, like every part of every song is intrinsically hers. It's not very comfortable to be detached that way, with the words no longer having any relation to me but only to a girl that I don't even know. So rather than singing along and feeling like I'm anonymously part of something, like the words belong to me, I feel like I'm peering into Taylor's psyche which, however interesting, is less fulfilling. Personal connection and meaning are much more satisfying to me.
Which is probably why, when I reread books that I adore, I hardly ever think of what the author is trying to say. I don't think of the message or the themes, undertones or symbolism. Instead, I dwell on what the story means to me, what the narrator is saying to me personally and obviously that meaning is different for everyone. It's also different every time I reread a book and there's something distinctly magical about that. I love the evolution of what books and stories mean to me as I evolve as a person. It's probably one of my favourite parts of reading.
In regards to the Glee episode, I don't know what Katy Perry (or her lyricist) was thinking when she wrote or brainstormed Firework. I also don't care. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter much what the song means to Katy Perry. I don't know Katy Perry and I have no inclination to know her and we are so far apart in so many ways but through this song, we are somewhat connected and that is a rather beautiful thing. What I have attempted to say with all of this is that finding meaning matters but meaning to one person is not always meaning to another person and definitions are only as solid as the people that believe in them.
Books belong to their readers and finding meaning in life is not something another person can do for you. It's a personal quest.
p.s. This is, of course, my own opinion and you are entitled to completely, or partially, reject it.
*Yes, I just categorized Salinger and Snicket together. Feel free to react to that.
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