Literature - can we do just a bit of it?
If you ask me whether you should take Lit as an elective or as a full subject, and I am allowed to express myself freely here, I would say that you have to ask yourself these questions:
1 Do you like the subject and what you have seen of it so far? I mean don't equate love of reading with your ability in Literature. If you like to read fluff, it does not help much. Literature can still frustrate you.
2 Do you find that the fuzziness you get in assessing Literature answers bugs you endlessly and you are always wondering if there is any way you can get a clearer and more decisive picture of how you should answer your questions? If you do, Literature will frustrate you again.
3 Do you ask yourself when someone brings up a point in class during a Literature class, " Man, how did he think of that.. how come I didn't think of it?" If this happens frequently, Literature will frustrate you yet.
But really, it takes all sorts to fill a class of serious Literature pupils. You will have your drama enthusiast, your analytical critic, your creative writer, your resident jester and detector of sexual innuendo, your English Whiz who comes from a Bukit Timah pedigree school who read the text in the past.
I will say this - you don't have to worry about what you are. Two of the really brilliant people I met in me humble honours class not so ...ahem...long ago told me did not do too well in JC.
Do you like to get into a story?
Do you like to make connections between ideas, say to pick a theme and ask what was happening in the real world at the time of writing?
Do you want to stretch your mind about politics, society, psychology, history, theatre, film, media, religion?
But don't listen to me - I will put you off Literature. The simplest reason to do Literature as a complete subject? Do you get a real kick out of getting it right In Literature class? If you do, Literature as a subject won't frustrate you.
1 Do you like the subject and what you have seen of it so far? I mean don't equate love of reading with your ability in Literature. If you like to read fluff, it does not help much. Literature can still frustrate you.
2 Do you find that the fuzziness you get in assessing Literature answers bugs you endlessly and you are always wondering if there is any way you can get a clearer and more decisive picture of how you should answer your questions? If you do, Literature will frustrate you again.
3 Do you ask yourself when someone brings up a point in class during a Literature class, " Man, how did he think of that.. how come I didn't think of it?" If this happens frequently, Literature will frustrate you yet.
But really, it takes all sorts to fill a class of serious Literature pupils. You will have your drama enthusiast, your analytical critic, your creative writer, your resident jester and detector of sexual innuendo, your English Whiz who comes from a Bukit Timah pedigree school who read the text in the past.
I will say this - you don't have to worry about what you are. Two of the really brilliant people I met in me humble honours class not so ...ahem...long ago told me did not do too well in JC.
Do you like to get into a story?
Do you like to make connections between ideas, say to pick a theme and ask what was happening in the real world at the time of writing?
Do you want to stretch your mind about politics, society, psychology, history, theatre, film, media, religion?
But don't listen to me - I will put you off Literature. The simplest reason to do Literature as a complete subject? Do you get a real kick out of getting it right In Literature class? If you do, Literature as a subject won't frustrate you.
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