Reply to Majoring in English—why so much disrespect?

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[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]
 
Oof, I remember having to recite this for class. "Shoor-us soot-eh ..."[/quote]

This Chaucer lesson brings home so many important aspects of the human experience. I was an English major (double major with a social science), then went on to get a Masters, and then went to law school. Thirty years later I still remember with love and gratitude my English classes: the things we read and discussed and wrote. It made me a better reader, a better writer, and a more empathetic and nuanced human being.

Today people (including me) worry so much about what jobs their kids will get after college. I’d encourage a double major along with English. But the study of language and literature is one of the things that helps us keep our humanity. Covid showed us the importance of the arts to human survival. I’d be proud if my kids majored in English or history. But if they didn’t want to be academics or go to graduate school for something more “marketable,” I’d be nervous. [/quote]

You are old. (I am too. Everyone on DCUM is.) So is that poster who works in communications.

Young people today have audio video communications. Books and school aren't how people get exposed to other cultures and new ideas. [/quote]

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