Uragirimono

The first book that came to my mind was The Last of the Mohicans, mainly because my entire class hated it except me. I found beauty in the loss it described while my classmates were arguing about what the characters should've done to prevent such loss. Their discussion seemed like a waste to me because, obviously, if something could've been done it would've been. I found value in the process of mourning when seemingly no one else did.

The second was a a short story translated from Chinese whose name i've completely forgotten. It essentially described a mother who was given the chance to go into the city to pursue a creative dream but going would've met leaving her children behind with other family. She ultimately chose to stay. Our class discussion on this story revealed that I was the only one that thought she'd made the right decision. It was the first time someone called me a feminist, and it helped me realize how controversial it is for women to choose what they think is best for them.

The last is Body Ritual Among the Nacirema -- I read it while I was still conservative, completely missing the point. It definitely played a big roll in my push into being leftist.