One part of being an English major that is endlessly irritating is the hierarchy of importance that society puts on specific majors, forcing English to be so low on the totem pole that it’s scoffed at by the ignorant members of society as somewhat of a hobby rather than a serious major. My question is, what do we do as English majors that makes our area of study so less important than, let's say, business?
I can say with complete confidence that as small as my major may be at my college, we are without a doubt some of the hardest working students. Not only do we spend countless hours writing, reading, analyzing and researching -- activities that a lot of people can barely stand the thought of -- but we also have to deal with the criticism and constant questioning about the importance of what we do. You're not going to question a nursing major on why their major is significant (that’s pretty obvious), so why English?
As English majors, some of our lives revolve around reading books that have disappeared from the modern age, trying relentlessly to prove that they are still relevant. Maybe not everyone cares about reading American classics like Walt Whitman or Allen Ginsberg, but just because the majority of people don’t feel the need to go out and explore the world of literature doesn’t make it irrelevant. It’s the few people that are still reading them that become incredibly important in our society. Almost every piece of literature represents a historical period in our world. With our deduction skills, we are able to acquire knowledge about different societies, countries, politics, people and so on, to draw conclusions. I realize that not everyone will see the significance in this, but those who don’t are probably not individuals that spend a lot of time reading.
But it is also important to note of the fact that we don’t just read all day, as nice as I think that would be. My classes personally involve a heavy amount of literary study, but that was my choice. English majors have a variety of talents to offer. Some of us want to be educators, noted scholars, marketers, lawyers, novelists, publishers, and journalists, to name a few options. We sometimes have to be inventive with our career choices, so English studies is not for the weak minded.
We are also some of the most passionate students. We have to be because we are questioned so often about our career choice. Sounding bland and bored when we talk about our major doesn’t represent it in the most riveting way.
I chose an area of study I love rather than one that I knew was going to guarantee me a nice salary (not that you can’t make money with an English degree; we’re talking in common generalizations here). I'm not going to criticize anyone for making the choice to be financially stable, but supporting yourself creatively is what's truly important to me. It takes a lot of dedication to still remain studying a subject that doesn’t always lead to the "riches."
Because of this, I learned that my niche wasn't one that most people are super impressed with. The realization came as I went through college and had professors explaining how, as English majors, we need to fight for our existence. Although, this realization didn’t come from my professors solely, each year after coming together with family or friends I noticed how my area of study was understood. No one was ever all that impressed with my future plans, however the same people were incredibly impressed with my boyfriend, who pursued marketing. He's heard the doubt in people's voices when I talk about my aspirations almost as much as I have.
This reaction has a lot to do with what we, as a society, value. A person that makes millions of dollars is more captivating to the general public than someone writing or teaching. As an example, throughout my studies in French I've learned how much the French value literature specifically. Academics, writers, professors, people of intelligence are respected there. In the US we respect CEO's of major companies and mindless celebrities. Not the people trying to rewrite the world.
I guess I’m just trying to articulate that why after all this time, and the many accomplishments made within the English community we still have to prove our worth within society. Next time I'm asked why I chose English as my major, out of disapproval rather than curiosity, I may just resort to responding with an ever so slight recommendation to read one of the thousands of authors that have shaped our world. English is hard, it’s tireless, it’s straining on your mind, it takes time to grasp, it requires focus, patience, a willingness to learn, acceptance, and above all it demands passion. In no way should the study of English be dismissed.
No matter what major you're studying as long as it's of importance to you, and you believe that what you're learning serves a purpose, no one should ever be doubtful of what you're going to accomplish. I write as an English major, but some of you may feel the same way within your respected area of study. I advise you not to listen to the critics.
