It baffles me how English has not always been considered a “subject” since there is so many layers within this topic. It is true that anyone can read and interpret for theirselves, but to what extent? I especially agree with Leavis and his “Sketch for an English School”. Kids were not broadening their horizons and not getting the education they deserve. Without the proper education, they can not fully understand the importance of English because they were not taught how to appreciate and learn from its pages. English is not just words in a book, it is what surrounds people everyday. As Leavis figured out, it is apart of almost every social science and can be built upon by them.
The United States has helped within this field and has, inadvertently, added to Leavis and his ideals. “New Critics” grew in the nation and people believed it to have finally been accepted, but it still needed to work on it’s “internal consistencies” (Moran Pg. 40). I agree it is difficult to distinguish English from other areas of study as they all resemble one another. However, I also believe it should be considered an area of study as there is more depth to it, like rhetoric for example. Also, English is used in everyday life just like any other social science. So why does it have to be so hard to accept English as its own, separate entity?