Introduction

By: Mack Brazelle

Often the most challenging classes bring the most rewards. This adage is true of my Introduction to Literature class. During this fall semester at Pembroke I have learned a great deal in all my classes, however, Introduction to Literature has been by far the most stressful and rewarding. The combination of reading challenging literature, writing assignments, and research has given me a new appreciation for literature, with the added demention of learning how to create and maintain an internet page to post my work. Over all, this class has sharpened my English skills along with keeping me up to date with new technology.

Reading challenging literature has made me a better student. That is, throughout this semester I have improved my vocabulary and in return expanded my educational foundation. For example, the first reading assignment of the semester was the Book of Genesis. The word genesis means birth, or as Jessica Guy defines the word in her first essay as the “beginning of something”. Months after reading the Book of Genesis, I was talking with Dr. Gary Wright during voice class when he used the word “genesis” to explain how a composer creates music when he said, “That is the genesis of music”. Without having the definition of the word genesis fresh in my mind I would not have as quickly comprehended Dr. Wrights explanation. My clear understanding was a result of reading and analyzing literature. By reading Genesis, and analyzing its meaning through the work of classmates, I have become a better student. Comprehending challenging literature enables me to better understand other educational concepts outside of English. If it is true that it takes money to make money, the same can be said that it takes knowledge to gain knowledge.

Along with the literature improvements I have made, this course has caused me to think about social issues. One such issue that was a topic in many of the reading assignments was: slavery. By reading Oroonoko and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl I better understand the trials of those who lived as slaves. A theme among these works was how slaves did not want their children to live their lives as property. In Oroonoko, Caesar kills his pregnant wife because she was a slave and if their child were born it would become the property of the slave owners. Caesar hardly had to convince his wife of the “necessity of dying” before she begs that he end her time as a slave and prevent their child from suffering the same fate. They believed a life in servitude was a life not worth living. Again Linda Brent illustrates the shame of being property when she wrote in her slave narrative how important her children’s freedom was to her. Her sole purpose in life was to purchase the freedom of her children. I imagine slavery as a disease. When a slave gives birth it is as if she has passed along a disease, and Brent longed to find a cure for her children’s disease. A strange feeling it must be for a mother to feel guilty for simply giving birth.

Reading about Thomas Jefferson, my author for the World Wide Web Page, gave me a clear picture of the political atmosphere during the time of Colonial America. Before this class, I had allowed myself to forget that only a few years ago slavery was a way of life for people in this “free” country. It is easy to forget this ugly fact, but the injustice of our ancestor should not be forgotten. Jefferson himself owed slaves. The irony of the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence owning slaves is mind-boggling. For Jefferson, like most Southern slave owners, slavery was a matter of economics. Thankfully Jefferson’s ideal prevailed over his personal need when in 1862 Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Because this class was done over the Internet a lot of independent research was required. Even with all the information available on the Internet, I still found the library helpful. I used the local library to researched Colonial America, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Poetry, and how to write MLA style. Research has been an important part of my learning experience.

The one area I have improved the most is my computer skills. When I started this class I used the Internet on occasions. Now, few days go by when I am not on-line. Learning to create a web page was frustrating. At first, I wondered if I would ever get my page started. Once I understood the process, it became fun to see my work listed on the Internet. I found myself working harder to finish a project so I could see how it looked on my web page. The future of communication can be found on the Internet and because of this class I won’t be left behind.