What Invisible Narratives Taught Me

What Invisible Narratives Taught Me

Throughout the last month in English 214 I have managed to learn about invisible narratives. This English term has managed to make me understand the real “truth” behind every story that I am reading. For me invisible narrative means the truth and assumptions behind the readings and headings being represented. Moreover, I have learned how to find the invisible narrative of every story. To find the invisible narrative you need to put yourself in someone else’s shoe and listen the stories of others without judgment.

    One of the articles that I read in class and has helped me understand invisible narrative was Gladwell’s, “The 10,000 Hour Rule”. The article was basically talking about how your inner talent can help you become a successful and famous person. Everything that you do by yourself, even if you don’t finish school, will help you have “success” in America just like Bill Gates. That’s what the text is trying to tell us, but if you try to go further then you can find the real meaning behind the story. The invisible narratives of the reading are that in America success means money, you have to be a very talented person if you want to succeed. Shockingly, Bill Gates dropped out of school but since he had rich parents and a enormous talent using computer programming he ended up creating his own company. It shocked me to know that nowadays if you drop out of school and don’t have enough money and an specific talent is going to be harder for you to succeed and do 10,000 hours of work to pursue the objective you are trying to reach. As well, it surprised me to know that in America you need to have at least some good talent if you want to succeed in the country.

    Another interesting article that we have read in class was McMurtry's, “Kill ‘em, Crush ‘em, Eat ‘em Raw”. The article was talking about the football game as how the coach gives the player instructions and strategies of how to play. Moreover that you are playing to win and show the other team that you are better than them. But it surprised me to see the that the invisible narrative behind the story was trying to tell us that a real man is a fighter because of his strength and toughness. Shockingly, finding out that the main quest for victory of football players is to think that the enemy is not human and that the quest of the game is to gain power over the enemy. Basically, by playing the sport of football you are trying to hurt the other players just to show that you have more strength and that you can be aggressive towards people that you don’t consider humans. I can connect this invisible narrative to the UFC and boxing fights as well. In those sports, men are trying to show their masculinity and that the whole “game” doesn’t end until the opponent is either very hurt or bleeding. These sports grab the audience’s attention but men are the ones that are more engaged to the fights because it represents their masculinity.

       I have really enjoyed learning about invisible narrative and how just one simple word or sentence can change your view towards a text. As well, it has helped me understand that every reading has a secret “purpose” behind it. Invisible narrative has helped me notice how Americans see the people of color. Specially when it comes to news, they always show that the white people are nice and always helping out people in need. On the other hand, when it comes to killing and stealing, guess who are the ones to blame? Yes, the people of color! In America we are seen as the bad influences of the country, the people that we are more likely to end up using drugs or any dangerous substance. I thank invisible narratives for helping me open my eyes to see how mean white people are towards us the people of color.