I believe that every Inquiry I wrote this semester helped me as I wrote the next one- it almost feels like without one Inquiry, I wouldn’t have been as successful on the following one. I think this is very telling of how the class is set up for the students. If I had to write, in general, one thing that I learned from all of the Inquiries, I would say that I learned how to truly analyze and interpret texts. Even though one would think that this is something a student would learn in high school, I feel as if I learned how to interpret texts in a different and more useful way in English 112. I realized that even a 10 second clip could lead to miles of in depth interpretation. Not only can I analyze literature, but I can also analyze film- I think this is a really cool skill to always have by my side. Inquiry 1 was interesting because it was the first film that I have ever attempted to analyze. This assignment forced me to view the world of film, and even interpretation, in a completely different way. I believe that this will all translate into me creating more powerful interpretations of literature because they will be unique. In Inquiry 2, I learned how to push myself that much further while analyzing a film and had the ability to push my skills on researching and finding unique, beneficial, and powerful articles. In Inquiry 3, I had the ability to learn more about myself, which is also something incredibly interesting.
I thought that the presentations on Thursday were just as interesting as the presentations on Tuesday. I like being exposed to new texts and expanding my interests as an audience member. I really enjoyed when the presenters showed YouTube videos of clips from their chosen text because it really gave me a feel for their interests and passion for what they decided to present. From Thursday's class I am now really interested in watching House of Cards- the reason I am so interested in watching this TV show is because I think it really relates to the text I chose from my canon, which is called Scandal. I had never heard of House of Cards until this class and I am glad that my peer introduced me to it. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience of listening to others and enjoyed presenting my favorite TV show to the class.
I thought it was really interesting listening to my classmates discuss their favorite texts because it really helped me get to know them as individuals and, additionally, introduced me to new TV shows, novels, music, and movies that I am interested in. I think this is a really unique project that is really beneficial for spreading one's interests/loves throughout a community. For example, after presentations on Tuesday, I am now incredibly eager to watch the movie Fly Away Home, which one of my classmates presented to the class focusing on how it truly touches her and her family's heart. Not only do I know the plot of the movie, but also I know why it is so significant in my peer's life- (because she grew up with over 20 birds in her home because her mom sold them). This project and the presentations help the entire class feel closer together in a personal sort of way. A trend that I noticed was that many of my classmates didn't necessarily choose texts that they grew to love on their own, however that they chose texts that they grew up with in their family for their entire childhood to the present. I found this really pleasing because it shows how family and connections to family is very important to my classmates. I wasn't familiar with many of the texts that were presented, therefore I learned a lot from these presentations. Something that I think might account for the differences in texts between my classmates would be where they grew up/ what their parents grew up enjoying. I feel as if where one grew up makes an incredible impact on what one decides to be interested in and grow a connection to. I can't wait for Thursday to learn about more interesting texts from my classmates!
There isn't one perfect or correct canon that exists today; canons are open for interpretation, depending on the individual reviewing the extensive literature that surrounds us. The articles that I chose to read were, "Is the literary Canon Still Racist and Sexist?" and "The Literary Canon is Still One Big Sausage Fest". I found both of these articles to be incredibly interesting because they both touch on the fact that many canons written are almost entirely filled with men, rarely any women, and contain slim to no diversity. The question I continued to asked myself while reading these two articles was simply, "Why?" I couldn't fathom the fact that the majority of the authors dominating canons were white men, containing no diversity and no women. This is really something that I believe needs to change- individuals who have the power to change canons, like professors and college/high school students, need to make their voices heard so that there is more equality filled within the lists. If no one speaks up about the lack of diversity on canons, 100 years from now Robert Frost will still be on the top 25. Instead, authors like Robert Frost should be replaced by powerful and incredibly intelligent authors who are women, who are truly helping make literature go round and round. Throughout high school, I mostly read literature that was considered "classics", or typical novels that you would see on a canon, without diversity. For example, I read novels many Shakespeare novels. However, there was one book that I read my junior year of high school in my English class that I have never forgotten. This book wasn't a typical book that you would see on a canon; the book was called, "The Privileges". I always remember this book because it was the one novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading in high school- it was more contemporary and relatable. I think that students need to speak up to their teachers and study more contemporary novels, so the class is more enjoyable for everyone involved. If novels were more relatable for students, they will be more engaged and give back more to their teachers. Regarding the article about canons being one big sausage fest, I believe this needs to be changed as soon as possible. Women need to be more recognized in the world of literature and praised for their tremendous contributions- I believe that canons should be evenly divided between men and women. The article about sexism and racism was also extremely intriguing. Why aren't African Americans more prominent in the world of literature? As a society in the world of literature, we need to make a difference in the world of canons and study other literature in school and help contemporary literature grow in the classroom. While it is important to remember famous authors such as Robert Frost, it is also important to value modern ones.
|