"Breaking The Frozen Sea Within"

‘A book should be an ice-axe to break the frozen sea within us’ By Franz Kafka

resources: http://ohr.edu/seasons/image/tammuza.gif

This quote stated by Franz Kafka suggests that good books should unlock ordinary thinking and give knowledge to the reader. I found that the simile in the quote above, about a good book being an ice axe was very true and interesting. I thought that this was an interesting comparison as the two objects can be similar in one way and completely different in another. Another literary technique used in Franz Kafka’s quote is opposites. An opposite is “frozen seas”. It took me a while at first to understand the phrase “frozen seas” but I managed to after some thinking. “Frozen seas” are two opposites because when you think of frozen you think about lifeless, motionless, still and quiet. On the other hand when you think of seas you would think of thrashing, moving and thunderous waves. This was very confusing to me at first but when I understood it was very interesting and made sense. In the quote above I think Franz Kafka is using the word “book” as the weapon or key to unlock imagination, creativity and thinking. In my opinion the “frozen sea” stated above is the wall or barrier blocking us from creativity and knowledge. The “frozen sea within us” could also mean the prison, which we are locked up in, and a good book is the key to freedom. The word “within” creates an impression of our soul, mind, emotions or thoughts, which should be unlocked and reopened by a good book.

I think that books are extremely important to everyone and without them we are unable to expand our thinking and gain knowledge. When I read the quote above I thought it was trying to explain how good books should break through and unlock our soul deep within us. I found that people who do not put effort into reading are unable to write as well as others. People who do not read are people without an ice axe surrounded by walls blocking them from expanding their knowledge and creativity. Some less fortunate people do not have easy access to books while we can go to a library or book store at any time. I believe that this gives us the responsibility to teach those less fortunate people and educate them. We are lucky and we should spread the knowledge we gain from books on to others.

Just two years ago I did not enjoy reading and only did read when forced to. All that has changed after the day I started to read non-fiction books and realized that there is so much knowledge and information to learn about. I then realized that books are the best way to spread thinking, creativity and knowledge. Books are a great way to pass knowledge you have learnt onto others and this is how the world will get more intelligent and new things will be invented to help us all. Fiction books will unlock creative thinking and emotions. Fiction books will get us to be more creative and we will get new ideas to improve our world as we know it today. Either way fiction or non-fiction books in general will help us all in many ways. I have only recently figured that out but it is the truth.

The image I have chosen shows a group of people burning hundreds of books, which means the same thing as burning knowledge. Without knowledge the world would not be able to develop and learn. This is why I think that this is a very wrong and disturbing image. As well as throwing out money you are throwing away valuable information, which could help millions of people. I do not know what the reason is for the burning of these books, but to me it does not do anything but kill knowledge, creativity and thought.