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When asked about why books were an important part of his life, President Barack Obama gave a quote that resonates in particularly powerful and poignant ways. Namely, the President told an interviewer that "the idea of having these worlds that were portable, that were yours, that you could enter into, was appealing to me" (Obama, 2017). He was speaking not just in general terms about the idea of exploration in books, but rather , about the way in which he would jump into books in light of the challenges in his life. He was a young man who moved from place to place. This often made him feel as if he was not fitting in. He would come to a new place, and despite wanting to fit in, he just could not. This caused major problems for the then-young Obama. Books provided him with an outlet through which he could explore and feel connected to the world. This quote from Barack Obama is not unique. Many people feel the same way about books. It is why books have played such a critical role in the lives and education of many. With this in mind, there are many books and works that we studied in this particular class that provide a look into what Barack Obama said and why it rings true even today.

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Ultimately the theme from Obama can be related elsewhere. The world of sports is highly portable and relatable in the same way. Some people use sports as a vehicle through which to connect with family and the memories of going to a game with dad. Others use it as a vehicle for community with their fellow fans. Others still live for the drama of the stories of players who have overcome great things. Sports provides something for everyone, which is why people love their teams today.

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Ultimately my favorite work of this semester was "A Lesson Before Dying." It was an interesting perspective that I would normally not get. The story, being about men who were about to be killed by the state, dealt with themes of purpose. It communicates humanity to people who have often been dehumanized, which is where I could get into the work. Just as Obama stated, literature excels because people can find their own way, viewing books and writings according to what the reader needs rather than what the author intends.

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"Those Winter Sundays" is a very much a child's lament that he did not appreciate the hard work and love of his father more. It shows regret that his father was able to work hard every day and still get up on the weekends and do things for the family. The author reflects on how love can be lonely. This is a book that might be dived into by the reader in multiple ways. One might identify with the position of not appreciating a parent or other loved one nearly enough. One might also view this from the perspective of the father, who is toiling away despite a lack of participation. This is a universal poem in that people can put themselves in the position of both sides.

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"My Papa's Waltz" is about the way in which a child clings to his father despite difficulty. It can be understood as the perspective of a child who is seeing in his father strength and competence. One might be able to identify with this, as it is quite a universal theme. However, one might also be able to view this from the perspective of a father who did not provide enough love. it depends on the frame of the reader.

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"Rite of Passage" is a unique poem that considers something as mundane as a child's birthday party from the perspective of a mother watching little children act in many ways like grown men. It is a sign of the passing from stage to another in life. The poem could be understood by some in terms of nostalgia, as a parent figures out that their child is growing up. It could also be considered in other frames, such as the way in which time continues to move and things grow and evolve along the way. The beauty of literature is that it can be interpreted according to the needs of the reader.

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Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" is a message from a mother to her daughter in hopes of helping that daughter achieve great things and fit in the society. When reading this, one might be able to think back with nostalgia of the ways they were helped or scolded by parents. One might also view this through a feminist frame, where they notice that the onus is being put on women to protect themselves from the scorn of men in society. The Obama message that books are "portable" means that one can jump into the books using whatever frame they happen to believe in.

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In " A & P," Updike explores the themes of societal expectations and norms. He wrote this during a time when many people were pushing the limits and trying to question whether these norms were even good for society. The girls in this story who were questioned and judged for their clothing were pushing back against the norms of oppression of women. Importantly, Updike's writing could make one using Obama's frame think about the ways in their own lives that they are typecast by their appearance. It could also make a person think long about their own assumptions over gender. Obama did not necessarily say that book were good because he could envision himself as the lead character. One might also read this and think of the ways in which they have judged women or made their life difficult in the past. This is the beauty of books, that people can find themselves in many different ways.

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"Eveline" communicates the grievance and pain of loss. It is about the way in which people can get their heart broken when they dare to invest their emotions in other people around them. Critically, this is a story that harkens back to the portability theme put forward by Obama. He liked books because one could jump right in and imagine the story as their own. "Eveline" is a universal tale. Most people have been in relationships where they have experienced the sting or rejection or betrayal. In the closing scene of this short story, most can imagine how they felt when a person did not give them the recognition they craved or left them in some manner.

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The statement from Barack Obama means that books are not just portable in the sense that a person could pick them up and move them from place to place, but rather, they were portable in a sense that each person could make them their own. One could jump into books in a way that allowed one to become a character in those books. Each book is something that can be personalized and viewed through a frame specific to a person's life and challenges. While an author might write about the challenges of a young gay man growing up in the 1960s, a young black man in today's world might be able to relate to the struggle of feeling like the "Other." Books are like this. even though there is a specific story that is being told, there is a bigger, more general story being told in books.

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Gaines's " A Lesson Before Dying" is a fairly specific story about men who had been sentenced to death in Louisiana, but taking the words of Obama to heart, one can look at this book and think about how the messages conveys the need to find and create meaning in experiences where that may seem difficult. The author is writing about being able to create meaning even in the horrifying experience of being caught in the Criminal Justice Sytem in Louisiana. Using the message and theme from Barack Obama, this is a story that might allow a person who is going through a difficult experience to create meaning despite the fact that they may want to find their way out of that experience.

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One of the stories that relays this important message is "The House on Mango Street." In this work, the author describes the experience of otherness that a young girl feels while trying to find her identity. This story is especially powerful in light of Obama's quote because of the reality that the little girl was feeling some of the same struggles he was alluding to. She was trying to figure out how her culture and ethnicity could contribute to her identity in a family that was somewhat disjointed. Barack Obama might have been able to get into this book and see himself in it. He might be able to see himself as a person with a varied background who was trying to make it in a world that was asking him to define himself in a narrow way. Books, then, might allow a portable experience for him, where he could relate to a person who was somewhat different but also shared some of his very struggle.

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"Speech to the young. Speech to the progress-toward" is an admonishment that even though one may need feel ready, the time is now to live life and move. It is about the ways in which people should come to find beauty in the struggle. Obama might have looked at this and dug its vibes in telling him that even though he did not feel comfortable in a new place, it was important to live in the moment and gain what he could from the experience. It is also a lesson to people that even if they feel uncomfortable, others out there are feeling much the same way. The speech is thus a lesson that people can draw many lessons from, which is the beauty of writing according to the former president.

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August Wilson's "Fences" provides the perfect example of how Obama's message may ring true. Troy in the play was a person who had a very normal struggle. He wanted to provide for his family, and he felt the sting of unfairness as he was kept from doing just that. The reality for Troy in "Fences" is that his talent is not being discovered or appreciated because of the color barrier in Major League Baseball. One does not have to be a baseball player to be able to feel this pain. A person with talent might be held back in business because they do not have the kind of Ivy league pedigree that one only gets when he grows up rich. There are many examples of ceilings and barriers placed on people in unfair ways. This book highlights those facts and creates something that is quite relatable for all people reading, regardless of their struggle.