The Flickers Of Light On The Television Screen Summary

Robert Fulford addresses some concern regarding the “flickers of light on the television screen (par.5).” Based on his opinion, the television plays a huge part as to why the people of today’s generation have become more insensitive, and ironically, vulnerable of what the real world is all about. Although it gives the people information about the current events, it does not give them the perspective of the people involved, or if they do, it is very limited and biased. On the other hand, it gives people the idea that the major events happening today are similar as the previous ones, which reduces its significance and the people’s awareness. In terms of movies and motion pictures, they take away the essence and importance of major world issues such as war because of too much exposure. Fulford feels that seeing movies
One of the benefits he talks about is that “literature takes us beyond our parochialism into other minds and other cultures (par.11).” He is saying that reading literary works such as novels and poems put us in the character’s shoes regardless of race, gender, culture, and beliefs, which we discover from different variety of themes. Literature give people a different view of something aside from their own. According to Fulford, “literature dares us to feel our way across all boundaries of thought and feeling (par.12).” In other words, reading literary works help people develop their empathy towards others who experience the same situation as the characters on the books they have read. Another benefit of literature that Fulford consider is that “the literary imagination can save us from the deadening influence of visual news and entertainment. (par.11)” By spending more time reading rather than watching television, people can develop a deeper understanding that what it seems to be is not what it