Treading the Tip of the Literary Iceberg

When I first began the quest to get my Bachelor's Degree, my original minor was in English. The primary reason that I got into such a program was simple; I love books, I love writing and I surely love to talk about both things. And honestly, I was under the impression that these were the only qualifications for being successful in such a program. Three classes into the program, I discovered that my being so naïve got the best of me a little too late.

Now, forgive me if the hook sounded clichéd, but I do not intend to go on a diatribe about the pretentious notion of some of my professors, or even the one-sided views of some of them, like the time when I learned about Hemingway through the eyes of a rabid feminist; the "men are pigs" kind. What I wish to focus on was inspired by an experience during the first day of my Introduction to Fiction course.

On the first day, the professor asked each student to answer an ice breaker question in addition to the typical, "what's your name, what's your major and what are you here for," dribble. She asked, "what are the last three books that you read?" I grew nervous from the get go, considering that the few students before me mentioned that they had read such classic authors such as Wharton, Joyce, Tolstoy, Eliot and Austen, amongst others. However, foolishly, I thought to myself, "Nah; they're not going to judge me!" And then it came my time to stand up and speak.

"Hi, my name is Travis and I'm a Communication Studies major with a minor in English. I want to be a fiction writer. The last three books I read were by JA Jance, Dean Koontz and JK Rowling." And thus, that proclamation inspired several shocked and dirty looks, as if I had just admitted that I was a crack head or convicted sex offender who used his financial aid money to buy crack and Filipino child prostitutes. Let's just say that I felt like the odd man out.

Such an experience got me thinking yet again; why is it that a love for such contemporary authors is so frowned upon within the literature academia? And furthermore, if the concept behind higher education is to broaden one's horizons and gain a full view of the world around us, why do English students only receive exposure to the tip of the literature iceberg? This is why I propose that in all English degree curriculums, the creators of the degree should integrate in all persuasions of literature; classic, contemporary, modern AND popular, into the lessons.

Within the classes for an English degree, all of the big demographics, with writers from each camp acting as their spokesman, are represented; African Americans, Latinos, Women, Gays and Lesbians, Native Americans and, of course, more dead white people than are studied in any music appreciation course. And no, I am not trying to imply that the readings that are currently assigned are inherently bad because, honestly, most of them are quite good, actually.

What I am implying, however, is that English, as it is taught in the college setting, serves little, if any, relevance to the social context of today, making it that much harder to think critically. I mean, there are universal themes contained in such works such as tolerance, friendship and the ways that we, as people, should live our lives. However, in the vast majority of cases, the subject matter and/or context are virtually impossible to relate to the modern day social climate. Therefore, if a student needs an extensive history lesson of what was going on at the time before they even delve into a single page of their assigned reading, how can they "get" it? Literature gives a voice to those who are otherwise silenced. But if we, as people, cannot understand it, how can the author be heard?

Furthermore, the integration of classic, popular and modern works can help students comprehend all of the classic elements of literature and even some which may have been established since the age of the "classics." For example, in teaching about irony, a professor may utilize the example from Huckleberry Finn where Huck's dad goes on a diatribe of how learning to read is such a useless thing only to, moments later, asks his son to read something to him. Few, in most settings, would pick up on this. However, to use a more modern day example in addition to the classic, where the context is up close and personal, means that the rate of retention would be much higher.

This also would be a huge help for English students who not only wish to bask in the art of language but also create their own. In any good creative writing class, several prompts see the aspiring writer trying various literary devices, such as "man vs. society" and "man vs. machine," etcetera, on for size. Without modern examples to supplement classic ones, the level of understanding decreases significantly and, in return, hampers the creation process. And come on, let's be honest; with the personal mantra preached in any writing class being "write what you know," who, in this day and age, is going to pen works taking place in the middle ages or the renaissance, let alone make it authentic?

In summary, students earning today's English or creative writing degrees are being done a disservice. Most studied works may be entertaining and enriching to an extent, though hamper the student from broadening their view of the world around them. And without such an understanding, students only are seeing an outline and not the full picture.