Looks can be deceiving

            While reading A Wrinkle in Time I noticed a theme of lenses. Many of the main characters wore glasses and a pair of glasses allowed Meg to save her father. What I think L’Engle is doing here is showing the reader how different the world can be through the different lenses through which we see.

            Our perception of the world is based on what we see and how we experience things. Both of these are very subjective. Sight obviously is obviously not an ultra-reliable source because our sight can be tricked; optical illusions for example. Thus what we see is not entirely real. It is how we perceive reality but others may perceive it differently. Each person has their own unique reality, based on how they experience the world; through the lens they experience. The question that comes to my mind though is; does a universal reality exist?

            At first I was not sure how to answer this question. I wanted to say no but I for some reason I just couldn’t, for some reason. Then I thought if there was, indeed, a universal reality what was it. I couldn’t answer this question either. It wasn’t until I thought about Aunt Beast that I started to get somewhat of an idea of a universal reality. The beasts cannot see and they ask Meg to describe things as the way they are not by how they look. The way the bests experience the world seems like it could be a universal reality. If people truly think how things are and not how they appear to be we may stumble upon a universal reality. Though, I am still not sure if I believe in a “true” reality, I am starting to lean more that way.

            The idea of viewing the world through lenses and the different realities relates a lot to service. Going into service I have to realize that those who I am serving have had much different experiences then I have. It is important to recognize because it allows me to be more open. Realizing there are different lenses through which to view things, possibly allows me to see things in new way. And through doing this I feel I can relate to the people I serve, the students at Tunbridge, to a much higher degree.