English Literature & Its Role as a Subject of Study

English literature is relatively understudied in higher education because many universities, with the exception of liberal arts schools, focus much of a student’s attention on science and math classes with an emphasis on logic in each and every course a student takes during their college experience. However, I’d argue that English literature also employs a scientific and logical method in its pedagogy as well and shouldn’t be dismissed by universities and students alike because it is viewed as too “interpretive” or “artsy”.

When studying literature, the reader’s process in determining an interpretation of a text’s meaning is much like the scientific method. 1) The reader must gather evidence from the text to assert their claim, 2) the reader must be prepared to be presented with a counterargument and then go back to the text to refute that, and finally, 3) the reader’s conclusion on the text should have been deduced through evidence, experimentation with other ideas, and conversation with peers with a well thought-out analysis as the final result. There is nothing lackadaisical about this process and it is sad that English literature is so undervalued by students who are going for degrees in the sciences because in order to be a “full” person by graduation time, a student should have figured out a way to synthesize all of her classes (even the ones that don’t seem to pertain to her major) to make her a more well-rounded and highly prepared critical thinker. I believe that people who study English are much more receptive to other subject-matters and have an intrinsic thirst for knowledge whether that’d be about literary canon or how to tie a double fisherman’s knot.

I am an English major, yet I feel incredibly unprepared for life post-graduation, but not in the sense that I am worried about my future career plans, but that I am worried about being stranded in the middle of the woods and dying after about four days of sitting around and reciting Plath poems in my head. I am confident that I will find some sort of job, perhaps not the best one ever right away, but one that I will be able to do well. I am dabbling with the idea of going to graduate school which does not intimidate, but excite me. Because of my receiving a BA in English, it would make sense for a person to assume that I am going to get an MA or MFA in something related to the study and/or creation of text, but shockingly enough, I am heavily considering an MS in environmental conservation and sustainability and the only reason I was lead to that decision was due to my BA in English. I believe that English majors are multi-disciplinary and have such a smorgasbord of interests that they settle upon studying English since that’s what they feel like can give them the broadest and most intellectually satisfying life. Studying English did fill me up, and it also taught me to have the audacity to explore other areas of study because I feel like I now have the skillset to take up any sort of hobby, trade, discipline, etc. and I have English to thank for that.

Students, especially undergraduates, should be required to take more English classes because the opportunity to study texts from any point in history or current times opens up a person’s world and exposes them to ideas that had never occurred to them before. English also teaches students to approach problems in a scientific manner which can ultimately be applied to any endeavor other than a piece of literature. For me, English has broadened me as a person by giving me a taste of different cultures and ideals because the films I’ve watched and the books I’ve read all come from other people’s experiences, helping me define my own.