The Experience of a Reader

     Nobody likes to read anything they are not invested in. Whether it be a textbook, novel, blog, or anything in between, an uninvested reader will get nothing in return for the time they invest. A good blog should pull the reader in and not let them go until the story is complete. Relatability is a reliable way to engage a reader. For me though, the relatability of these two blog posts were hit and miss. I have not been privy to losing someone I love dearly in an instant. I've seen it happen but I could not connect with it. At times, Dunham's struggle with mental illness strikes a chord with me, but the extremity of her situation pulled me away. Though I was not always able to see myself in their situations, their writing was engaging enough to where I wanted to continue reading. I may not understand exactly what they are going through but I would love to learn.

    Out of the two, Cousins was much easier to read. The short descriptions of each moment, the sprinkles of details to build the scene, gave me enough information to understand the situation but left gaps for the mind to fill in the blanks. The story gets to the point without meandering on every single detail that is not needed. Dunham's account, on the other hand, seemed to bloated and over told. It's understandable in a way, these types of struggles can be complex. For me, the problem lies in structure and an abundance of details. The structure of the post seemed sporadic. It's as if she had started writing and could not stop herself. This leaves the post feeling all over the place, no clear focus or message. Dunham goes on about the look of other people and for what? The unfocused story telling is more akin to an unfiltered stream of thought, not a moment to tell a story and reflect.

    Cousins seemed to be truthful. The short recount of losing their cousin, reconnecting for a brief moment, and finding some peace was written authentically. Needless details are not added, showing the author had put time into reflecting on the situation. Dunham's post seemed truthful but from her perspective. She seems to me as an unreliable narrator at times. This may be due to her revealing her battle with mental illness, but whenever a conflict arises there seems to be a missing part of the story. From Dunham's point of view, what was written is the truth. From a third person perspective, I do not know if the same would be true.