Reply to Majoring in English—why so much disrespect?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]An example of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in Middle English. Understanding it is only the beginning.

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote 
 
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour."[/quote]
but, why do people need to understand this?   I read Shakespeare, Flaubert, etc.. but I don't see the point in needing to understand very old English.  My DH is English. He doesn't even like reading those types of books[/quote]

Which then begs the question, why do I need to study so many subjects that I will never use in my career? It's not necessarily the specific subject matter that's important, its the the thought processes and skills that we develop that's important.[/quote]
I can understand learning history, social science, but none of those classes are taught in ye olde English.  So, again, why does one need to understand Chaucer's old English?

I think it's important to read some classics, but I don't think it's important to read every classic.[/quote]

Majoring in English is not only (or primarily) about reading the classics. It's about thinking about literature and the ways that literature reflect (or doesn't reflect) society and our culture. It's about expanding our imaginations and empathy through seeing the world through others' perspectives. And it's about close reading and defending ideas with specific examples.[/quote]

I agree with you, but sadly that is what is lacking in today's society and spefically here on DCUM[/quote]

Dcum -- and the world -- would be a better place with more English majors and fewer business majors.[/quote]

We need more doctors and nurses. [/quote]

Yes. And at least one med school thinks that English majors make better doctors: https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2015/npr-all-things-considered-a-top-medical-school-revamps-requirements-to-lure-english-majors[/quote]

If they thought they made better doctors then why do have their med school students come from science backgrounds?

They think it’s valuable to bring humanities majors in to become doctors but if they believed they were better then one would assume they would take the majority of their class through this program.[/quote]

Not all humanities majors want to become doctors. Perhaps not enough to fill their med school classes solely with humanities majors? and perhaps they also see that there may be students majoring in other subjects who are still qualified to meet their standards? Note that they had to take the MCAT, however; while the humanities majors did not.[/quote]

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