Power of Perspective

One of the special qualities of writing that interests and intrigues me the most is the power of perspective. Perspective can change a negative to a positive or a truth to a lie. It can change someone's opinion faster than seems physically possible, and it can ultimately portray someone as the hero or the villain. Like we said in class, there are two sides to every story, which makes a memoir difficult to deem as historical fact because bias is so strong in the book.

I first noticed the role of perspective in James Carroll's book when he wrote about Angelo Roncalli, or, as he's more commonly known, Pope John XXIII. This name jumped out to me because I graduated from Roncalli High School, so naturally I liked the book infinitely more simply because it mentions my alma mater's namesake. Because of my attendance at a school named for him, I know more than I ever expected to about Roncalli, and it struck me that my perspective of Pope John XXIII is much different than Carroll's. I've learned everything I know about the Pope from teachers and other sources who never actually knew him. James Carroll was fortunate enough to meet and share a moment with the Pope. Although our perspectives are different, Carroll proved to me that when certain opinions match up, they must share some truth. Our own particular opinions line up where Pope John XXIII's affinity for the papacy is concerned. Carroll reassured me that Pope John XXIII was an incredible man, and this realization helped me to trust Carroll's writing more.