the appearance of intelligence: reading in public
books, the ultimate accessory
A few days ago, I was reading The Great Gatsby on the beach, cover angled tastefully to show everyone my choice of book for the day. While I was thoroughly enjoying the book, it was also delicately chosen to convey a message to passersby.
I like many others, have fallen into the trap of needing to prove their intelligence.
To preface, I wouldn’t say I am a person who always likes to be different, or try to be better than others. I would also like to say I am very open to all types of reading, and highly encourage the practice with whatever material you choose. However!
As a former gifted kid, my intelligence has long been a part of me. I was the smart girl, in class, to my family, and to my friends. I was the homework helper, the first to raise my hand, and the teacher’s pet. To be smart in elementary school was never difficult for me. But as I grew older, my intelligence seemed not to come as naturally as before. Despite that, the desire to prove myself never faded. Now I must find ways to display it, so people can still think of me as the smart girl even if it doesn’t come as easily as before. As we grow older and the natural ease of learning fades, the compulsion to maintain that identity intensifies. We start to rely on external validation to reaffirm our self-worth.
That being said, I am no stranger to so-called “unintelligent” books. I have read many YA romances with cookie-cutter plots with vigor. However, these are the reads that must be consumed in the privacy of my room, the ones whose spines and covers must be pressed flat to the ground, and titles hidden to those who ask. I hide that I’m reading them with the privacy of my Kindle Paperwhite. Reading these would not display the image I would like to convey to others. This leads us back to The Great Gatsby. Although I did have a personal desire to read it, the appearance of me reading it out in public gave me more motivation.
Books have been used as a way to symbolize status for their entire existence. Before printing presses, the limited numbers made them exclusive. Literacy was a privilege for the wealthy. When the printing press made them more easily produced, the rich began to amass collections of texts to demonstrate their cultural refinement. In the present day, the mass production of books has made them more accessible than ever before. Most are able to read through school systems and libraries. Despite this, books are still status symbols. Personal libraries still strive to demonstrate the same thing as when the printing press first debuted. The act of reading certain books in public or sharing reading habits on social media conveys a sense of sophistication and intelligence.
For these personal libraries, The Strand in New York City has a section on their website entitled Books by the Foot. This service invites one to pay hundreds of dollars for a foot long of curated books (choose from colors, styles, or subjects) to place in a staged area. They tell those who see them that the person who owns them is cultured and intelligent. But most of them will never be removed from the shelf, much less read. And because of the high price tag, this service is only available to the upper class. It is purely there for the looks, in real life and online.
The way the public perceives someone has expanded with the rise of social media. Not only can the image of intelligence be curated in real life, but on Instagram, TikTok, Goodreads, and Pinterest. These apps and websites make appearances as crucial as ever. The countless aesthetics presented to us further hammer in the idea that we are meant to fit into a specific image. Reading in public is so dark-academia, so thought daughter, so Rory Gilmore, so mysterious girl. A meticulously crafted Instagram post showing someone reading an “intelligent” book perhaps isn’t the standard for them, but by posting, it inherently insinuates that it is and their high level of cleverness. For example, say a girl posts a photo of herself reading a page from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Paired with a Lana Del Rey song and a cute, quippy caption, she has alluded to her followers that she indulges in classic literature. Hence, she is smart, inquisitive, and introspective. This is what you are meant to take from her post, regardless if she was genuinely enjoying it, or posing.
Most would agree intelligence is an admirable personality trait in someone, so emphasizing it makes you more worthy. Books have always played a crucial role in this display. This is how I ended up reading The Great Gatsby on the beach. I wish I could say I wouldn’t do it for societal validation again, but I most likely will.