Being Lost In Reading

Being Lost in Reading

By Zainurrahman

Reading is not only voicing or sounding meaningful arranged graphs, reading is not only identifying text but reading is also interpretation activity and an interpretation is always started by what we call observation. A good reader will observe text as a whole and not as parts. Therefore a good writer will consider goodly the coherence in his or her writing. In this level, Ideolinguistics believes that a successful reading is also determined by the text itself. If the writer cannot write well or he or she is stopped, it may be a block.

“Block” does not only attack the writer (writer’s block) but it also attack reader (reader’s block) and also listener and speaker (listener’s and speaker’s block) but in this chance, we will discuss briefly the reader’s block.

We come back to the reading case. Reading is observing text and then interpreting it. Reading first language text is not only observing but translating text in idea, or first create secondary text as the translation before observe it. Whatever the text kind, idea’s work mechanism is important to be put into account. In reading activity, a reader becomes an adventurer in a text jungle; some people use other expression “text is a map of treasure” what is the treasure? The treasure is “meaning” that will be information or knowledge. Just leave the expression, what should be understood is “reading is consuming the writer idea” whether it will be rejected or accepted, the reader must consume it. Reader has no choice. Reader may not select what part will be read and what part will not, because a reading as related text should be understood as a whole (except for quoting). Whether it will be accepted or rejected, it is not really matter.

When we are reading a text, depersonalization is much prohibited. We should present the writer there because reading a text is consuming and understanding what the writer wants to convey through the text. However, we are not communicating with the writer. The writer in other side is who is speaking to us and the reader is who is commanding when the writer speaks and the reader is also listening. It must be complicated, however it is true that text is a writer’s attempt to immortalize or record the speech structurally and distribute or save it through space and time. Thus, the meaning of text is mainly determined by how it is sounded or voiced. Therefore, the reader should be ready and always concise on the text as if listen the writer speaks. If does not, the reader will be lost in the jungle of text. That is why this discourse is titled “Being Lost in Reading”

There are at least two causes that cause the reader is being lost in reading a (long) text. They are: the complexity of text (as the external factor) and jumping fantasy (as the internal factor). Here, we will discuss more about the internal factor. However, the external factor is not ignorable.

Sometimes, writer use complex style in composing his or her text to pack his or her ideas. It may because the idea is complex and only can be represented by complex style or the writer’s intends to make it complex to build particular image on his or her text. The lack of reader’s knowledge and experience is also a reason why a text become complex to be understood. This case must be much discussed in Textology, here we will discuss about what is the jumping fantasy and how it make the reader is being lost.

Fantasying in the reading activity                                             

This is, actually, my personal experience. I believe, at least for myself, we are fantasying when we are reading. Reader always fantasies the meaning of word, follow the plot of the idea development presented in a reading and make an overview in mind of what is being read. Simply, reading is not only voicing text, but also imaging it.

Every people have basic cognition that will be developed by interaction with object outside or inside. What I mean with outside here is the real object and the inside is the imaginary object. We, according to Vygotsky, mostly interact with our interpretation than the object we interpret. In the case of reading a text, we actually interact with the text and at the same time (and more directly) we also interact with the interpretation of the essence of the text which is being read. Something goes beyond the screen; that is our fantasy of the reading text.

You may not believe, but you can try to proof it. Prepare a set of text written in L2 you understand. Then you read it. Unwarily, you are imaging the text meaning. It may be recognized as an attempt to have the essence of text meaning. However, I more believe that it is an attempt to make a journey in a text street; you are imaging.

Let us say that the text consists of three paragraphs. You are still standing on the first paragraph, and you are keeping reading. As time goes by, you likely sleeping and suddenly you come to the third paragraph and you know… you have been being lost in the second paragraph. Something must be happened with your fantasy. Just remember again, what was fantasized when you were journeying in the second paragraph? It can be something about yesterday or another event. Being lost here means that your tongue and your eyes are looked read and see the text, but there is no connection to your idea; and it come back to be connected in the other chance. It is not about the failure of having meaning or message contained in the text, or you do not understand certain style used by the text writer, but it is more about losing control in the reading activity. You, as a reader, fail to control your mind to keep focus on the text plot.

The Jumping Fantasy

Mind Fantasy is something seems like having wings and foot. It can jump around through space and time, even out of your control. It may be important to define what fantasy is. Ideolinguistics believes that fantasy is something appears in your mind as the result of the cognitive process. It is still different with idea and concept. This following example is hoped to give you an understandable understanding about fantasy, especially in the frame of Ideolinguistics paradigm.

Suppose that you see a cat in your kitchen. The cat is black and very dirty. After that, you go to your bed and you still remember the cat; its color, its dirtiness, everything relate to the cat. It is fantasy. You, whether or not, create the picture in your mind about the cat. It means that if you do not create it by yourself, it may be created by something else. The next day, you see another cat; it is white and so beautiful. You, then, compare the black and the white cat. Cat is not always white and black; it is an idea. However, they are four-legged; it is a concept.

We are not going to talk more about idea and concept. The main case here is our fantasy that always jumps and loses our control. I will give more examples to make it clearer.

It was my very boring time. I did not know where have to go, or what I have to do. The night was cold and it made me feel better to stay at home. No calling, no text message, no new movie, no friend but I have a still sealed pack of cigarette. Actually I had an appointment with someone special that night, but she cancelled the meeting and it caused me heart-tired. I made a cup of coffee and burnt the cigarette. I hoped to be able to forget her; first meeting impressed me, but there was not the second meeting. I suddenly remembered my new book bought last night. I broke the seal and started to read it. It was written in English (my native language is Indonesian). Text by text was read carefully, but her shadow always dances in my mind; as if I see her. As time goes by, I realize that I have been being lost in the some parts of the text. Then I have to read it again. It seems that I lost the text, but actually I was being lost in the reading, because my tongue and my eyes were keeping reading but my mind was not there. My fantasy should be there together with the text. However, it was not, it prefers to come to another object, the girl.

It seems simply, but it actually through a complex mechanism. In this, Ideolinguistics believes that it is quite harmful if the reader does not do anything to anticipate the phenomenon; it should not be again. One reason proposed by Ideolinguistics is that the reader should present the writer in reading the text. However, reading a text should be considered as an interaction. Therefore, the presented writer will be the object that keeps the reader’s fantasy. One of the reasons of why our fantasy sometimes jumps to other place is that we do not have object in reading activity. We need an object to direct and manage our idea. This at the same time rejects the Barthes’s theory of Depersonalization. The reader should present the writer in mind to keep the fantasy. The reading activity should be an interaction between the reader and the writer and texts become the media. Other that, reader can also image that the texts are writer’s voice. Other way can be used is that, just read if you have questions; reading for answer.

To be a good reader, it will need a lot of training. The most difficult training is how to keep idea to focus on the reading, to control your eyes and mouth so that they cannot be lost in the text without any direction from your mind because your fantasy is in other place. The first step can be done by the reader is learning to present the writer in mind or what Ideolinguistics call “Personalization” as the rejection of “Depersonalization” of Roland Barthes.

About the Author

Zainurrahman, was born on March, 5th 1983 in Ternate (An Island in North Maluku, Eastern Indonesia). He is an English Lecturer and a creative writer. He has written more than ten ebook titles that can be downloaded on http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com and/or http://majelisaljabbar.wordpress.com

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