In reading an essay, I want to feel that I’m communing with a real person, and a person who cares about what he or she’s writing about. The words sound sentimental and trite, but the qualities are rare.
-Alan Lightman in “The Ideal Essay”
Alan Lightmans “the Ideal Essay” rings very true to me. When I read an essay, I want to feel like I am having a conversation between the writer and myself. I want to feel like this piece of writing was only meant for me. When this happens, this really gives the reader a chance to get a good sense of what the essayist is trying to convey in his or her piece. I like the line where Alan says, “the facts are important but never enough.” The writer cannot just state fact, otherwise the piece is not an essay and has no personal meaning. I think if the writer knows all of the answers, his work looses the sense of one-on-one conversation. There should be at least two sides to an essay. To get a true feeling of the writer you need to see his compassion and love for his subject. If a writer does this, you will be able to connect better with them as an individual. If his or her work only describes the facts you will never fully comprehend the writers love for the subject. When the writer is grasping for the answers in his work you begin to see the writer as a person. You will also be able to relate with them better. Alan said, “When I’m reading a good essay, I feel that I’m going on a journey.” I think this is what most readers want when the read an essay. They want to see where the writer is going and his or her journey to get there. If readers do not feel they are allowed to be a part of the essay and taken on that journey, they will not truly understand the essayist. I think this factor is what sets apart a good essayist from a bad one. Writers should be confident in their work and not afraid to show the reader their weaknesses. This is what makes them so interesting. This is what gives the essay humanistic qualities and allows the reader to relate with a piece.
