Reading through another's eyes

 We are able to enter a world seen completely through another’s eyes while reading. Even people that we may think we have nothing in common with. By reading stories through a point of view different from our own, we are able to learn more about the world and gain empathy for others.

Earlier this year I read the book The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas. The story follows a girl named Starr, an African-American who has to deal with the death of her friend due to police brutality. While I was reading the story, I was never really able to relate to the main character. She had to deal with discrimination and violence because of her race, which I have never experienced. Even though we are around the same age and gender, we don’t have much in common. 

However, it’s precisely because me and Starr are so different that it was important for me to read this story. I will never experience the hardships she went through, most people my skin color won’t. This can create a lack of empathy between people of different races. But reading about the suffering of the characters in the novel allowed me to step into the character’s shoes, and empathize with all the real life examples of stories like this one. This is especially important during today’s political climate which has led to lots of hatred and division in our country. All things that could be avoided if people were willing to see past their differences.