My American Lit professor viciously drug us across two weeks of mythological allusion within "The Wasteland." This deeply fascinated him, but after one day on this subject I was already burnt out -- especially since we spent most of out time focusing on the footnotes of the text. After two grueling weeks of the Fisher King, and the grail myth, and the Arthurian Knight myths...I was OVER IT. The information just seemed so stale.
So last Tues we started on As I Lay Dying, and guess what he wanted to talk about? Mythological allusion. But we started talking about stream of consciousness writing and that ate up a good 45 mins, and then he looks at the clock and realizes that he wants to talk about myth, and then gives me this opening -- "So is there anything else that you guys want to talk about with this book...." And I took the opportunity to bring up the presence of the omniscient narrator(s) in the novel and thank goodness he went off on that and then went into grotesque irony and humor. So that saved the day.
I can only hope I don't look too miserable in class.
3 comments:
Good luck at not showing your misery. When I started at UCR, I had to do a little oral examination with 2 profs since I'd gotten my MA at a CalState; they were testing to see if I had any deficiencies. Well, I didn't get any deficiencies, but about 2/3rds of the way through, these two eminent looking professors started sort of giggling. I asked why, and they both finally admitted that it was my face. They'd ask about Faulkner, and evidently I'd light up like an Xmas tree and answer. They'd ask about Milton, and my face would turn downcast and gloomy as I have my answer. They's ask about Spenser, again the gloom. Dickens, I looked mildly interested. etc. They said it was the most fun they'd had testing for deficiencies, and they admitted to starting asking me stuff JUST to see my reaction......
And you know you're a bit like someone we know....
Whooo, me? (Bats eyelashes affectionally...)
Also, I have a feeling I'm going to have lots of deficiencies. But I can give anyone a good haircut and I'm willing to bribe "them" with that. Because in my experience if there is something that academics usually invest it, it's a good haircut. Wacca wacca.
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