<p>In the past year and a half that I've been in college, I've realized that a lot of students around me get a lot more out of literature than I do. I like books, but I've realized that my enjoyment is on a shallow level. I suppose my lack of appreciation for literary nuance has to do with my high school English classes; they were more about understanding the basic meaning of texts rather than going deeper and interpreting them. But I did like my English classes, and I always thought I would be an English major, so now that I'm faced with this dilemma, I don't know what other major I would pick.</p>
<p>To be honest, I enjoy the writing aspect of English more than anything else, and though my school does offer a Creative Writing major, I'd be way too scared to major in it. So I guess the reason I'd like to become better at analyzing literature is to get rid of the low self-esteem I feel when I hear my classmates wax poetic on some element of the book that I totally missed. I'd like to be able to do that, too. I'll be taking Intro to the Advanced Study of Literature next semester, which I hope will help me improve, but that isn't a given...</p>
<p>Another concern is grad school (if--and that's a very big if--I decide to apply). I'm afraid that if I major in English, my major gpa will be lower than my cumulative gpa, and that might not reflect well on my application.</p>
<p>As someone who will probably end up switiching into a comparative literature major, I can tell you that a lot of reading in between the lines and analyzing on a more than “shadow” level depends on overall knowledge with humanity. I think it takes interdisciplinary knowledge in related fields or just being curious about the world around you.
I can tell you that it wasn’t until I started going to college that I feel I started to see things more than just face value.
I wouldn’t necessarily change majors, but a related major that I think helps train or develop the analyzing is art history. so much of art history is learning about the historical context of work along with reading the meanings in images, little by little this helps you and trains you to do the same in non physical visual work like literature.
Take an art history class or two if you haven’t done so already.</p>
<p>I was really moved by your post: you clearly love literature, and enjoy writing–and feel so badly about yourself. Please seek out a bright, inspiring English prof whom you feel good about, and tell him/her exactly what you are struggling with, I sincerely hope that s/he will encourage you, offer you extra time to discuss literature, appreciate your true enjoyment of the subject. Also, don’t be fooled by students who can wax lyrical, and enjoy the sounds of their own voices!!</p>
<p>I agree with liek0806. I was much better with creative writing and analyzing after I took fine arts and philosophy courses. I do not care for books or writing much though. I would suggest getting your master’s degree in English. Perhaps a BA in something related is better for you, to give you perspective (and ideas).</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be too worried about students who “wax poetic” about literature. Usually its the same students talking again and again and using language that sounds good but means little to nothing. It might just be a preference of mine that flowery language belongs in literature and we should try being concrete in our discussion of it. I really haven’t seen any meaning in literature until recently (and thank god I’m taking my last English class ever this semester), and it’s not that big of a deal. You’re probably making it out to be more than it is. Just think about what you’re reading. Like, my class is reading Antigone. What’s the significance of gender roles? What’s this play saying about justice? Is disobeying human law in accordance to a higher moral law moral, or is it wrong? How can this situation be paralleled with a contemporary issue? Analyzing literature is asking yourself a lot of questions about what you read. And so what if people say things you didn’t think of? Use their ideas to come up with your own. Argue against their ideas. My class today was arguing about whether it is acceptable to disobey human laws if you don’t morally agree with them. What I’ve always liked about literature is that there is no right or wrong as long as you can back up what you see in the literature with evidence from the text. (With the exception of grammar but that’s another story)</p>
<p>OP-- Have you looked back at papers that you wrote in high school or even in your first semester in college? When I compare papers that I wrote this semester to what I wrote last fall, I can see obvious differences in my rhetorical style and in the general sophistication of my arguments. Also, taking an intense theory class helped me a lot in improving my analytical skills. I think it’s important to add that students see different things in literature based on their experiences and interests. Maybe you make points in class that other students hadn’t thought of.</p>
<p>You might consider journalism if you like writing. Less pressure to be creative, bigger job market. (I say this as an English major so I’m not biased : )</p>
<p>“You might consider journalism if you like writing… bigger job market.”</p>
<p>No, no, no! I’m an English major too Beren. But the journalism field is shrinking, what with internet bloggers and declining newspaper subscriptions.</p>
<p>You can still make money working as a journalist, but your duties will likely involve working with all sorts of media (such as creating podcasts or doing graphic design), and not just print. You can also get paid freelance gigs via sites like [Chicago</a> Headline Club](<a href=“http://www.headlineclub.org%5DChicago”>http://www.headlineclub.org) in Chicago, but regular staff positions for publications are hard to come by.</p>
I’m an English major too Beren. But the journalism field is shrinking, what with internet bloggers and declining newspaper subscriptions.</p>