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Who Knew Reading the Material Would Make the Class Interesting?
By Taylor | October 4, 2011
Oh, that’s right. My professor …
Blogging from: My desk
I’ll tell you, going into Comparative Studies 367.01 – a.k.a. American Identity in the World – seemed a bit dull for me. It’s a second writing course required for my GEC’s (General Education Courses) and I put it off for as long as I possibly could.
Finally, I had to sign up, but I decided to sign up with my best friend Shelby Siegenthaler to make the lameness that much lame.
We get into the class and the second day, what do we do?
Watch Jersey Shore.
And our first paper? An analysis of the American Identity in “Jersey Shore.”
Can you say AWESOME?
So I did that paper, nailed it, and we moved on to the next thing.
A graphic novel called “Fun Home,” by Alison Bechdel.
I’ve never read a graphic novel, or comic book of any sort, so I didn’t know what to expect. Though the words in relation to the pictures looked pretty intriguing, so I actually read it. All the way through.
It’s hilarious. It’s a tragicomic, so it’s sympathetic and entertaining at the same time. Bechdel’s witty, well-informed, and uses numerous allusions to american literature – which I’m a sucker for, being an English major and all. The story is basically an autobiography of Bechdel repressing her childhood with her father and how her family was a sham because of his deepest secret. When he passed away, she blames it on the fact that she revealed her own little secret, and uses literary allusions to prove why.
Sounds vague and it probably doesn’t make sense, but it’s really not as bad as you may think.
Here’s a page from the novel.
(interpret what his secret is on your own. I’m not spoiling anything.)
Nonetheless, I discovered that class can actually be fun and interesting if you simply understand what’s going on. I’m actually pretty excited for my English 202 class this quarter. We’re reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I’ve heard of these works of literature and cannot wait to dig into them. I sorta already have … :)
Don’t like your English class cause it takes up too much time? Try actually engaging in the literature, and you’ll be surprised at the opinions you develop and the dexterity of your mind. You’ll even be surprised at your increasing interest!
Topics: Academics, Advice, Author, Classes, Taylor, Textbooks | 1 Comment »
One Response to “Who Knew Reading the Material Would Make the Class Interesting?”
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October 5th, 2011 at 1:41 am
I took those classes my freshman year, and loved both….we didn’t watch Jersey Shore though! And Wuthering Heights is now one of my favorite books–so I definitely agree with you about actually trying to get into the material! Totally worth it.