I recently finished a novel in which most of the characters were black. When I read a well written story I will develop a mental image of the characters drawn from the author's descriptions. In this case, even though the author frequently referred to the character's race, I found myself picturing them as white. I repeatedly had to make conscious efforts to recolor my mental images. This trend was quite disturbing to me at first. With all of the talk of racism in America these days, I had to wonder if at some level I had been touched by it. In my day to day activities it is rare that I even take notice of race in my dealings with others. So what was the difference?
The difference was, this wasn't real life. When we read, we depend on our imaginations to fill out the details of the universe the author has created. Imagination is always a very personal and individual thing. We picture things from our own perspective. We base our mental images on our own observations and experiences and project them onto fictional characters. It is not unusual for a reader to place himself in the role of the protagonist. Yes, I have been Alex Cross. I've also been Katniss Everdeen. Even though I've never been a black man or a teenage girl in real life.
So I have concluded that there is not some deep seed of racism buried within my subconscious. Only the normal and natural sense of self that dominates my personality. The "me" that defines who I am before any other biological, ethnic or cultural factor. I am me and I see the world as it relates to me. When I read fiction it's as if the writer has invited me into his fictional word. At that point it becomes our world.
It is unfortunate that a culture of over-sensitivity and political correctness has threatened to spoil the enjoyment of simply reading a book. I will forgive myself for experiencing that moment of misplaced guilt.
While text may be black and white, the rest is open to interpretation.
