When I was younger I always read the typical books that were popular for my age group: The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, all of the Roald Dahl books. Then I was brought to light in ninth grade when my class read Charles Dickens’ work of art Great Expectations. Not only did it make me feel accomplished and cultured, but I loved it, each and every word (except maybe for the chapter that included an extensive amount of boating terms that I just did not understand). My fellow students gave me a sizable amount of grief, as they despised Dickens and our teacher for forcing us to read it, with long and detailed sentences (which I happen to adore) and a time period to which they could not relate at the ripe age of fourteen. But it’s a “classic”! Continue reading “Valuable Texts”
Feminism in “Interdisciplinarity”
In this day and age, there are many social issues such as feminism, like abortion and same-sex marriage, that we as a society are becoming accustomed to hearing in the news. Feminism, however, has been one plaguing the human race throughout history. It dates back to gender roles and responsibilities in ancient times. Unfortunately, women are still fighting for complete and equal rights to those of the male sex.
In Joe Moran’s Interdisciplinarity, it is said that “the experience of women is devalued or excluded” (92). That is why the Brontë sisters published their works under the names of Ellis, Currer, and Acton Bell, so as not to slight the possibility of success.
The question now, though, is whether or not this statement still relates. While it is known that female athletes are still fighting to make the same salary as male players (for example, in tennis female players make significantly less than male players although the earnings from winning a major is now equal), female workers in arts and entertainment are achieving as much acclaim as men. Take, for example, J.K. Rowling who is now one of the most famed authors of our time; however, she chose to write under a pen name for the same reasons as Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë. Her identity was revealed, though, and she experiences continued success with her novels and the Harry Potter franchise. Society is changing.
As a woman in the modern world, I am more confident than my predecessors may have been. Philosopher Julia Kristeva stated that “women are defined by their bodies…in ways that men are not” (96). In some ways this is still relevant, as there are still those that argue against the feminist theory –that a woman’s role is not interdisciplinary, that she should remain in the home with the family. However, as a species we now have means of controlling the functions of our bodies. Women have as much power over themselves and their bodies as men do. As a result, women can attend and pursue schooling without struggle, excel in their careers and climb to the top of the social ladder, and earn respect and acclaim as much as those of the male sex. I am not concerned about my future success as a writer and woman in society because of the advances in the direction toward equality. As a society, we are headed in the right direction. Continue reading “Feminism in “Interdisciplinarity””
The English Reputation
At my grandmother’s eightieth birthday party I was sucked into a conversation with my grandfather that I will never forget. He is definitely not the kind of person to conceal his opinion. Unfortunately, he is of the same mindset as many others that the study of English in a college or university will not get you anywhere, make you any money off of which to live. “Have you thought about the sciences?” He’d asked me. “You know, they’re giving out a lot of scholarships for women to go into engineering and things like that.” Yeah, Grandpa, I know.
I suppose he was only worried, but what he didn’t seem to understand is that the study of English is interdisciplinary. As referenced in Joe Moran’s Interdisciplinarity, the American education system has constructed a poor system for the study of English, labeling it as a singular discipline, a “science” of its own. This is true for all of the disciplines, or majors (as called by the universities), which have been divided. Moran references British literary critic F. R. Leavis, who states that specialization in one field allows a more complete and precise knowledge of the discipline, however, English must be regarded as “necessarily interdisciplinary” (Moran 26).
These chasms between the disciplines, I believe, injure a student’s ability to be well-rounded, and as an English student, one must be. English includes the study of literature and society, and to do so one must understand the world in which he or she is living. Said chasms also are detrimental to the acceptance of all disciplines. English is looked down upon in some regards. Every “major” has acquired some sort of stereotype or reputation, and this dissuades some from dipping their hands into a healthy variety of information.
I am certain that my grandfather only wants the best for me; he believes in the deepest corners of his soul that I would have a more prosperous life if I were to major in another discipline, one that the majority of the population appears to deem as “useful”. However, as English itself is such an interdisciplinary subject naturally, would that not open up a variety of opportunities in life after graduation?