The Balance of Light

While reading Manguel’s piece, “The Library as Imagination”, I was really struck by the concept that “Darkness promotes speech, Light is silent.” At first the theory seemed very abstract and completely eluded me, but as I read on I came to not only understand but also agree with Manguel. The library is known as place of silence and refuge from the outside world. In there the only sounds are the shuffling of pages, the clicking of keyboards, and the scraping of chairs against the floor. While given the chance to read in broad daylight or under the artificial lights that we have created, we take those moments to read the word in silence. In contrast, darkness, when light is not an option, we choose to speak. “In the light, we read the inventions of others; in the darkness, we invent our own stories (271).” This quote fascinates me because I never stopped to think about that. I believe it is taken for granted that we can see through the day, and beyond into the night. The inventions that have overtaken the modern world, gives us the opportunity to work ceaselessly. We can read whenever we want to, go out and not be afraid of the dark because light is in abundance. But with that surplus of light, have we stopped sharing stories, and telling tales in the darkness, and what repercussions have arisen from that?