WRITING: Perception

Perception alone dramatically diverts the path of understanding, both in writing and in life.

A simple well-intended gesture, him allowing me to sleep a few hours longer out of concern because he felt I needed the rest. I was awoken by the sun instead of him, and found myself distressed over the loss of time. I feel he has robbed me of precious hours of my life—much as the narrator is aware she has done by watching her son sleep for a few extra minutes in “A Seasonal Life.” Two people sharing a moment of space, but not understanding it the same way. It changes their day from that point onward.

In Watchman, Dr. Manhattan misguidedly attempts to please Laurie. Her perception of his gesture is one of revulsion, as it is for many readers. Between the two perceptions there are myriad other paths of comprehension that hold the possibility of changing both the drama of the characters and the reader.