Relatable Characters

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In his book, Reading and Writing: A Personal Account, V.S. Naipaul begins his autobiography by describing the root of his writing. He was only eleven years young when he first wished to become a writer. Nonetheless, this ambition was merely an excuse to own pens, books and ink without any desire to write. Later, he engages a liking for reading and writing during his early school years because of the influences of two characters: his father and Mr. Worm. He wanted to be a writer but felt he did not have sufficient knowledge to do so.

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When he moved from rural India to the "New World," also known as the city, he experienced a drastic change, feeling like an outsider regardless of the other Indians that lived near by. This created a writer's block and affected his lack of writing motivation. This reminded me of the time I moved to Florida for a year. I experienced severe homesickness because of the drastic change of people and culture. Even though there were things that reminded me of home, just like there were bits and pieces of India still with him, it was a difficult transition. I could relate to his confusion and experiences and how it had an effect on his personal growth and self-discovery. I definitely grew as a person and my personality matured when I was away from home. When he saw the Ramlila in the theater, a play based on the Indian Ramayana, it filled him with reality and excitement because it reminded him of what he knows as home.

Everybody has felt that sense of aimlessness in their lives where one does not know where to turn or what to do. That is why the author's character in his own writing is so relatable. Not to mention his other characters, that are so well detailed, are probably relatable for other people as well. For example, parents wanting what is best for their children could notice certain similarities to Naipaul's father.