“In such circumstances, readers cannot but be subversive” (Manguel 22). The first time I read this quote, I was quite perplexed. I was unsure about the point Alberto Manguel was trying to make. Once I re-read the entire paragraph, I developed my own interpretation of this statement.
In “A History of Reading,” by Alberto Manguel, Manguel talks about the different forms of government in the world who posses apprehensions about having intellectual inhabitants living in their society. One form of government, in particular, Manguel discusses is the totalitarian government. Totalitarian governments prefer to have a non-thinking society in order to maintain their power. So they prohibit certain reading material from the public.
What I got from Manguel’s statement, previously mentioned, is that in certain societies, such as one governed by a totalitarian government, people who wish to educate themselves cannot help but revolt against authority. This is not because they are criminals with no regard to authority figures. It is because they enjoy the act of reading and learning new things. Just the mere explanation of my interpretation of this quote baffles me. Does it not sound a bit oxymoronic? The word subversive means to undermine governmental authority. To read means to consume and comprehend written material. A “subversive reader;” does such a thing even exist?
Terri,
ReplyDeleteI don't find it oxymoronic in the least. Manguel is only pointing out that knowledge in general, but more specifically the freedom to spread and consume that knowledge, can be subversive. Reading a controversial text then becomes a subversive act, simply by virtue of its diffusion into the public sphere. Dictators as well as members of high ranking worldwide institutions (e.g. the Church), have known this fact for centuries, and are terrified by it because of its ability to empower the people.
Terri,
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to agree with Luke in this situation. I found the same quote to be contradicting in my own reading, but after further investigation I would dare say that a "subversive reader" is one who reads with the intent of undermining governmental authority, one that seeks out subversive material with the intent of learning it and then to spread such knowledge to one's peers. Any person of certain time periods could've been considered a subversive reader by their government or church officials.