Reading is the most prominent motif in the novel and contributes to themes surrounding The Power of Storytelling. For Ben, reading represents the frustration and embarrassment of not being able to experience life the same way others do, while for the animals it acquires an almost mystic power. Their reaction to Ben’s first reading lesson in Chapter 16 illustrates this: “The animals gathered around like the devout witnessing a miracle. It was a miracle. Out of five black marks […] Ben conjured up sounds that made a word that in turn evoked the presence of a word that wasn’t there” (72). Reading represents a transcendent tool of knowledge, reinforcing the power of stories to open one’s mind to an array of experiences and ideas.

Reading is the primary source of conflict for Ben and represents the goal of his overall character arc. His words in Chapter 45 after achieving that goal illustrate the overall power of reading: “When I started, it was dark, there were shapes and things but nothing was clear. Then it was clear and I could see. It was like being born” (185). Through comparisons to illuminating experiences, the

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