The Joys of Studying Literature
One of the main joys of studying English is what could be called its liberating ambiguity. With Science or, to a greater extent, Mathematics, there is often only one ‘right’ answer, and all else is wrong. Even where there may be some scope for divergence, that scope is often minute; the answer must be correct to a specific number of decimal places and/or certain range of digits. English, however, is an almost boundless field of possibilities in which one may argue as one pleases, so long as one is able to back up that argument. Even if the argument is somewhat radical or unexpected, it can be argued, and indeed read, with as much reverence as a more standard or typical answer if the evidence to support the claims is there.
This ambiguity is what gives a real sense of freedom to studying, in particular, literature, but also extends of course to more language-oriented aspects in certain cases. For, although one is unlikely to contest the purpose of a particular grammatical function, one may discuss how the use of that particular function, or indeed the lack of it, can highlight deeper issues within a text.
Thus it is possible to construct an argument based simply on the lack of, for example, a certain function or word. To be able to argue about what is effectively not there indicates that the world of criticism is one of much opportunity and open possibility. One could not, for example, write an essay so easily on the lack of river names on a map or of the implications of not writing out an equation in full.
Another aspect of studying English which makes it so enjoyable is that one is able to use this licence of ambiguity with a range, and indeed a choice, of texts. As well as studying the numerous prescribed texts, one is able to make reference to one’s broad reading experience, or even, in certain cases, base an essay or argument upon a favourite text. It is also possible
The field of English is not an easy one to enter. English takes large head knowledge and big heart knowledge. Because of the nature of studying literature, one must possess a strong background of the ins and outs of English and be able to empathize with the writer and the characters in their context. While the study of English is often times difficult, with dedication one can not only succeed in the field, but also immensely enjoy English and all that it entails. While I was moving up through grade
When I was expelled from my university, I didn't regret any part of it. Spending hours and hours of studying and finishing my assignments for a year, I knew at the end, it was all useless after my program coordinator called me one morning saying that I wouldn't be returning to my university because I had been expelled. Nonetheless, after a few weeks of locking myself up in my room, I finally got to the conclusion that spending time on a huge thing called knowlegde is always worth it. I came from
The Biblical authors use numerous different genres in their writing to communicate their message. Law, history, wisdom, poetry, narrative, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature are among the variety of genres included in the Bible. Reading and interpreting the different genres in the same way can lead to misunderstanding, confusion, and outright error. The Apostle Paul, as a student of the Hebrew Scriptures, would be familiar with the genres used throughout the Old Testament. When it came to his own
INTRODUCTION ‘Dance’, the first thing that comes to the mind is the spirit of happiness, colours and immense joy. Almost all dances form conveys this message. There are also dances which are interpretative, telling stories and passing down valuable lessons to the audience and to the younger generations. Every community has a dance or two which are performed during festivals, deaths, harvest, feasts and other special occasions. When these dances are performed, they are accompanied with music and
should be added to Literature in English II, because it contains literary elements that have been covered in class, add diversity to the course, demonstrate postmodern era characteristics, and stress the importance of reading and writing. The Handmaid’s Tale starts off with a women being held in a high school gym with many other women (it can be assumed that there are at least
An Oppressive Society and an Impressive Heroin; The 1891 novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy is a progressive piece of literature that illustrates some of society’s greatest flaws. The Victorian era was one of rampant poverty, elite struggle, and unprecedented industrial growth. Moreover, literature was accommodated to reach the masses; poetry was made easier to comprehend, magazines published stories to be read by the general public, and novels were mass produced as they grew in popularity
Using literature in ESL and the principles of Communicative Language Teaching Among the reasons Van (2009) believes studying literature in the ESL classroom is advantageous (providing meaningful contexts, a profound range of vocabulary, enhancing creativity and developing cultural awareness and critical thinking), he mentions the fact that it is in line with CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) principles. It is worth to elaborate this last point by specifying the ways in which literary exploration
to boys through jewellery making; they would thoughtfully and delicately make the jewellery, choosing motifs with great care to subtly convey their feelings. (Vanhaeren, M. 2009). By studying jewellery not only can we identify people’s personal tastes, but we can travel back through the ages, especially by studying the materials in which they are made. The earliest known necklaces were discovered to be made from teeth, bones and such materials that were readily available (Gere, C and Rudoe, J. 2010)
From studying at Harvard, helping in WW1 and never holding a regular job, Cummings devoted most of his time and effort into creative expression. After earning his Bachelor's degree at Harvard, Cummings volunteered to drive an ambulance in France during World
Analysis of W.B.Yeats' The Stolen Child The Stolen Child was written by W.B.Yeats in 1886. The Victorian Era of literature was in full swing, while upstart new poets, dissatisfied with the 'airy' nature of earlier poetic works, began demanding more concrete, realistic, and hard-hitting literature that avoided the metaphorical distancing that the Romantics were prone to. They scoffed at Yeats, at his romantic views, at his out-dated style of writing. Frustrated, perhaps even angered
and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day. Pass it on boys. That’s the game I wanted you to learn. Pass it on.” He always repeats pass it on, he hopes the boys can enjoy life through literature, and can teach the next generation to inherit literature. The knowledge learnt must be useful in life. In “3 Idiots”, Rancho can use the knowledge learnt from school to apply in daily life. Mona, the pregnant women, she cannot go to the hospital Because of the heavy rain. Therefore
Literature is our ancient form of a hard drive where we can read something from the past and connect with our present. The more we read, the more literate we become. Therefore, we have the opportunity to open our minds to more ideas and try to understand the way other human beings think. From the beginning of time human beings have developed methods to communicate with each other. Our ability to develop these methods have allowed us to pass our knowledge from one generation to another. This development
use material from her past.” Smith’s novels pulled memories from her life to effectively tell her heart warming yet heartbreaking stories. Smith focused on the “brutality of childhood and youth” mostly seen in her novels A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Joy in the Morning. Most of Smith’s books focused on individuals or families facing poverty in Brooklyn. In the article, “Biography of Betty Smith, Author of a Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Smith stated, “I realized that he [Thomas Wolfe] had caught the lost
Back when I was studying for my O level English Literature examination, in the mid 1960s, Lord of the Flies was required reading. Our English teacher, the unforgettable Mr Gough, got us all enthused about reading it, and I will never forget that experience. This was never just an average adventure book for kids, which the overall story-line might have suggested, in as much as a plane crash on an uninhabited island leaves a group of reckless school boys to fend for themselves. Once you begin to read
obsession with attaining happiness using the themes of wisdom, identity, dissatisfaction and the character Faber’s philosophy. Throughout this novel the reader is presented with the notion that knowledge and wisdom are achieved using one’s experiences, studying theory and Critical thinking. Critical thinking serves to challenge ideas presented instead of accepting them as automatically correct, this is also the most essential of the three attributes mentioned above. Montag and Clairesse both had mentors