The most dreaded question any English major is asked: "What do you major in?"
You cringe, "Oh, I'm an English major."
They suck in a breath or draw a blank stare for a moment and say, "Oh, so...you want to be a teacher?"
You pretend as if you're not internally screaming inside your head. Since when has this particular major been such a cringeworthy one? Think of all the great writers throughout history: William Shakespeare, J.M. Barrie, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and so many others. If you were to meet any of them and asked, "Oh, what do you do for a living?" and they reply that they write, would you still cringe? Since when has the art of writing and analyzing become something to be ashamed of? If it wasn't for these intellectuals, then why should it be for us?
What I believe people don't realize is the difficulty that comes with being an English major (besides the reactions of people when you tell them your major). When it comes to studying literature, it is not simply reading a few texts and writing a few essays. Let's start with reading. English majors do not just read; we have to critically read. By that I mean, we have to think as we're reading and often, read things repeatedly to understand it fully.
Not only that, but studying literature also entitles us to study history, linguistics, culture, and more; basically being an English major declares that we must be knowledgeable in all aspects of the world. After all, when reading a text, we must be able to understand the world it is set in. For example, if a poem or novel is set in 18th century England, we cannot treat it in regards to our own modern society. Instead, we analyze it through the content of that time period; socially, economically, etc...
Another thing to remember: Just because someone is an English major, doesn't mean that they love reading so much they want to spend all their time doing it! If you're a science or math major, think about it. No matter how much you love what you're studying, do you really love spending hours studying the same material over and over? Even we like to put the books down, but unfortunately, we can't.
Don't even get me started on essays. You don't enjoy writing them just as much as we do. What people don't realize, though, is how much writing is essential to having a career or just getting through life in general. By writing endless pages of critical reading and argumentative essays, we slowly, but surely, learn how to articulate our thoughts and opinions and are thus able to apply them to our real lives. You can't learn those skills being a math major.
Am I saying that English majors are superior in knowledge and such to other majors? Of course not! I can't add or subtract to save my life. Give me 10 books to read in a week and I'll gladly do that over a sheet of math problems. Every major gives people skills that they can utilize to their advantage. Just because writing and reading aren't yours, doesn't mean it should be demeaned. Think about that next time someone tells you they're an English major and you have the strong urge to cringe.
