I am disappointed that I have to write this during my last--and busiest--week of the semester because, although I have had plenty of time to think about the future, I do not right now. My thoughts in two weeks might not be what they are today. As R.D. Laing said, “we live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing.” We live for the future, and it is often the deciding factor in what we choose to do today. With that said, the question becomes: how is literature, and my study of it, going to determine what I do in the future?
In order to try to understand what I plan to do with an English degree, I am going to go back and look at what I was thinking when I first made the decision. Just eight months ago, I had declared my major as finance, and I had no idea what I was going to do with that degree—I just knew that a business degree gave me many options. As a requirement for my business major, I had to take Business Law. I loved the course and, although I had had thoughts in the past of law school, they were always ideas and never plans. With my interests in the study of law rekindled, I sought advice from various people about what they thought the best major was for an aspiring law student. My professor suggested English. I was ambivalent at first, but the more I thought about it and the more I talked to people, the more confirmation I got that it was a good idea. So, I went to see an adviser and I changed my plans.
Now that I have spent a semester as an English major, I have been exposed to some excellent literature and literature discussion. The depth of analysis and interpretation of the works we have studied has really opened my eyes to the importance it has in my life. After we discussed The Moviegoer, I thought about how I could one day end up like Binx—a wandering soul in search of fulfillment at the ripe old age of thirty. Persepolis brought me into a world of family struggles and sacrifices during a period of political upheaval, which could be the experiences of people I know (have known). Glengarry Glen Ross showed me the inner workings of a real estate office with cutthroat agents that care only about one thing: closing. Is my friend and real estate agent at all like these men?
Literature can (most of the time) only be based upon real life experience—either first or second hand. Thus, reading what others have written is the key to a box full of answers; answers to questions that people ask every day. I love that when I ask the question, “should I go to law school,” or “what were people thinking when this [insert historical event] happened,” there are hundreds of books out there (all written from different people and viewpoints) that I can read to help me figure out what people were/are thinking. Reading about the experiences of others, learning from them, and using them to help me make decisions are some of the many tools I will use from my study of literature.
The most important reason for my study of literature is that I like it. Literature will provide me with answers to questions, entertainment, and questions to ponder; and it will do all of these things while adding a smile to my face. Leonardo da Vinci encapsulated it for me: “Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”
