Disgruntled English Major

A place for those who study English literature to express their discontent in everything from the misuse of apostrophes to lack of income. Some say we're pretentious asshats. They may be right. But at least we're well-read.

[bookriot]

My school’s library set an important path in my life: with no expenses involved, they allowed me to read as much as I needed to, and that led me to a life devoted to books and, therefore, to more education and — I say it with no doubt — empathy. They presented me with different worlds, they allowed me to escape reality when it was too much to deal with. Eventually, I started writing my own stories and building my own plots. Without a library, I wouldn’t have been able to buy books, and that might have changed me in ways I can’t imagine. I grew up with books and stories, and I can’t reason a life without them in it.

from Why Libraries Matter (via bookriot)

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Hello! I was wondering if you can give tips on annotating?

Hi! Ok, it really depends on your style and what works best for you (e.g. if you’re like me and will scribble all over the margins, or if you prefer using sticky notes) and if you’re annotating for your own edification or for an assignment. But generally, keep in mind that annotation is meant to be purposeful. I like this quote: 

Marking and highlighting a text is like having a conversation with a book – it allows you to ask questions, comment on meaning, and mark events and passages you want to revisit. Annotating is a permanent record of your intellectual conversation with the text.

So my main tip would be to set a system for how you’re going to note different things before you start, and be consistent. If you’re interested in one particular motif in the text, maybe you’ll go through and highlight it a particular color. Or maybe you want to put an asterisk next to important passages. Write your questions, things that are confusing, connections to other parts of the text, or other texts.

The link above has more suggestions, so you can decide what works for you, but definitely try to be consistent, organized and clear in your annotations– especially if you’re going to be using your notes for a written assignment. Nothing sucks like having some brilliant insight while annotating at 3 AM and being unable to decipher your notes later when you need to write a paper.

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Can I ask something related to your english major? What are you going to do with that major? I just started college and declared myself an english major but I don't even know what kind of job opportunities that will give me (other than an english teacher, which I really don't want to be) and I'm feeling kind of confused and lost.

Haha so, I started this blog when I was still in college… I’m now 27 and have been out of school for some time. (I guess I should post something on this blog so people know I’m not really ever on here anymore, so sorry if this message is super old.) 

But to answer your question, after completing my degree I went on to work (in rough order) reporting on healthcare issues, co-founding a startup, writing copy and selling eggs for a local chicken farm, researching tobacco cessation methods, and finally, my current full-time job as an evaluation associate for local health agencies. Point is, you can do almost anything you want to do with an English degree. You might notice I’ve worked in a number of health-related fields. That’s my passion, and what’s set me apart from other applicants in those jobs is my ability to write, edit, and think critically– which I developed during my time as an English major. I know English majors who went on to become lawyers, librarians, RNs, business owners, and more. The possibilities are pretty endless.My suggestion is to figure out what you’re passionate about and go from there. And it’s okay if you don’t know yet! Try stuff out, like volunteer positions or internships, and see what you like and what you hate. Take electives in other areas and see if there’s something you can combine with your English major to make you more competitive when you graduate. And if you want more ideas, check out English Major Humor’s success tag. 

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

When you don't know anything about linguistics: The plural of "memorandum" is "memoranda", why can't people get it right

When you know a little about linguistics: The plural of "memorandum" should just be "memorandums" because that's how people naturally say it, "memoranda" is just prescriptivism

When you know a lot about linguistics: Oh my god? So certain English words borrowed from Latin and Greek have competing plural forms, with one form using the English plural -s and the other using a borrowed Latin or Greek form? Do you realize how crazy that is - a language borrowing *inflectional morphology* from another language? And here the two competing plural forms have become markers of education, expertise, and social class, isn't that incredible?

When you have a degree in linguistics and dgaf anymore: memorandibles

[catchingeverdeen]

Who remembers

Motherfucking Scholastic

Book

Orders

And then the magical traveling circus of scholastic would randomly show up

at the motherfucking BOOK FAIR

[ningcomepoop-blog]

love

[tessaviolet-deactivated20190521]

seriously the best ever.

[italktosnakes]

This was actually my childhood. 

[carolina-girl]

Wish they had these I high school

[the-lonely-scottish-guy-deactiv]

This was probably what got me into reading. Congratulations Scholastic!

[englishmajorhumor]

I'm an incoming senior & for Ap lit we have to chose 2 books to read this summer on the ap list. My problem is that I have too many of these books and don't know what to start with (because I'll eventually read them all).They are: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Illiad, Jude the Obscure, Dracula, Into the Wild, The Things They Carried, Invisible Man, To the Lighthouse, As I Lay Dying, Oliver Twist, Night, and The Invisible Man. Which ones would you recommend reading first/would you?

I don’t have a straightforward answer, but I think these considerations can guide your decision:

I happen to like Into the Wild and The Things They Carried, but I wouldn’t read both at once since they’re fairly similar in that they’re both from the second half of the 20th century and because one is nonfiction and the other is what I’ll call “quasi-nonfiction”–it’s fiction, but it can be sort of read like it’s nonfiction and it merits such a reading. Normally, I think it’s great to read books that are similar to each other around same time, but when it comes to studying for the AP exam, you’re supposedly better off having read a books from different time periods, etc. than a bunch of books that are concentrated in similar periods and on similar topics. I read both The Things They Carried and Night in the approaches to nonfiction literature class I took in college, and they’re a good pairing because they examine different aspects of war, trauma, and memory. But if you’re going for breadth and you wanted to start with one of these, you might want to pick one or the other, not both. 

Given that August starts tomorrow, you might want one or both of the books to be on the shorter side so you can finish them before school starts. Conversely, maybe you’ll want to read longer books now so that you’re not sloughing through them while you’re trying to tackle homework for other classes and applying for college. Unfortunately, you have to pick your poison, so to speak.

If you’re the sort of person who can pick up any book and read it regardless of how you’re feeling and how your life is going, then I suggest throwing all the titles into a hat and picking one at random.

Lastly, I haven’t read As I Lay Dying, but of these titles, this one has the biggest reputation for being a slough, and I wouldn’t want to be 17 and trying to read it on my own with no teacher or class discussions.

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Here’s EMH’s much more thoughtful response to the summer reading question, for anyone who was following that. 

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

I'm an incoming senior & for Ap lit we have to chose 2 books to read this summer on the ap list. My problem is that I have too many of these books and don't know what to start with (because I'll eventually read them all).They are: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Illiad, Jude the Obscure, Dracula, Into the Wild, The Things They Carried, Invisible Man, To the Lighthouse, As I Lay Dying, Oliver Twist, Night, and The Invisible Man. Which ones would you recommend reading first/would you?

Wait, your reading list includes both Invisible Man AND The Invisible Man? Way to confuse everybody, AP Lit teacher. 

There’s some really good, and really heavy stuff on that list. Night is brutal and heartbreaking, but relatively short. Dracula is a fun read; if you’ve never read it before I’d suggest starting with that one. Oliver Twist, As I Lay Dying, To the Lighthouse, and Invisible Man might be best left for the school year, when you have more support to get you through the drier or more complex parts. You could take on Illiad if you’re feeling ambitious. I haven’t yet read Jude the Obscure, so I can’t say one way or the other there. 

If I was choosing from this list, I’d probably start with Dracula, Into the Wild, or The Picture of Dorian Gray. But that’s just personal preference! (Nice thing about summer reading is you have the luxury of switching your choice if you start one and aren’t feeling it.) Happy reading!

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Hello, I appreciate your kind answers to the asks you receive. You're always so helpful! Mine is similar to the anon that wants to be an English major but doesn't believe they are good at writing. I have the opposite problem; I have always been a strong writer, but I have trouble with the reading and comprehension part of English lit. Of course, if it's a modern work I have no problem, but reading anything before the romantic period often leaves me confused (continued)

(Cont) and when I have to respond to texts I always doubt whether I have the concept right and end up researching and googling or asking others for help. While it hasn’t been detrimental to my grades so far, I worry that as I take higher level courses it will be. Do you have any tips or advice? Thank you in advance!

(Aw, thank you, dear! And I’m sorry for the delayed reply. I’m not on here as much as I used to be.) 

It’s true, sometimes English literature written before 1800 can feel like a foreign language. Middle English, and even Early Modern English can be difficult for a lot of people (I distinctly remember students in my upper division Shakespeare classes complaining about not understanding any of it). 

Honestly, I think you’re already doing all the right things. If you’re still in lower div classes, this is the perfect time to ask for help, research what you’re reading and really practice your comprehension. Like writing, it’s a skill you can only improve by doing it. 

Even in upper division courses there are resources that can help you. I say this in practically every ask, but if you have TAs/GSAs, definitely go to them for help! That’s what they’re there for. Go to office hours, ask lots of questions, be active in discussion. Discussion section is a great way to test yourself on your reading of the text, even if you’re not totally sure about it. Starting a study group with your classmates could be another way to practice outside of class. If you really feel lost, you could seek out a tutor in the English department or elsewhere on campus.

I hope this helps! 

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

people who dont even care about language: how can you just CHANGE grammar??? add new wORds?? unacceptable!!! language must never change!!!!!11 kids these days cant even spell!!

people who study language: ANARCHY!! ANARCHY!!!! LANGUAGE IS FLUID AND WORDS AREN'T REAL!! change! the! grammar! rules!! burn a dictionary!!! NO ONE CARES!!!!!

[englishmajorhumor]

Hi! I was wondering as an English major or any that you know, is it difficult finding a job after graduation ? And what sort of jobs have you guys received after college?

The difficulty of finding a job will vary–it all depends on how well you’ve prepared for your job search prior to graduation, what sorts of internships and extra-curricular activities you’ve done, what specifically you want to do, and where you want to do it, among other things.

Check out my English Major Success Stories tag to learn more about what sorts of jobs people and opportunities English majors have landed after graduation. I also recommend looking at dearenglishmajor.com and the #EnglishMajorSuccess hashtag on Twitter. Best of luck to you!

[xxcats-eyesxx]

Jo Rodgers

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Hey love your blog! So i have this weird assignment due next Friday, and I still cannot understand what the title is all about 'Examine the effort to come to terms with realities that confound the understanding and interpretation, as is depicted in three contemporary British novels of your choice.' Any help would be appreciated ! thanks!!

Aw, thank you! 

Errr... I’m afraid I won’t be much help, since I’m not in your class and don’t know the context of this prompt. What kinds of topics are you covering in this class? What themes/literary movements/stories have you been studying? Are we talking about surrealism here? Absurdism? 

Honestly, I would ask your prof or TA or even a classmate to explain it more clearly. 

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

This is going to sound absolutely pitiful but... I'm an English Major. I'm an English Major who's grammar is atrocious. I just can not write well at all. I feel like I do not belong in this major because of this. I want be an English Major and I want to learn to write better. Am I just wasting my time?

Oh no! No, no, no, you’re not pitiful at all!

Lord, sometimes I think English majors are harder on themselves than any other major. 

Obviously I don’t know your whole story. I don’t know what school year you are or what your plans are for the future. But let me tell you, wanting to learn to write better is NEVER a waste of time. It’s actually quite admirable, and potentially beneficial for future job searches. 

No one is born knowing how to write perfectly! And the best way to learn to write better is... well, to keep writing. And reading. And hooray for all of us, the internet (and, potentially, your school?) has a WEALTH of resources to help. Here’s a short LifeHack article about writing. Here’s a fun website that can help you edit. Here’s a list of a bunch of websites that can help you with grammar. 

If being an English Major is what you want, don’t ever feel like you’re not good enough to be one. We go to school to learn, after all. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, I guarantee you will improve. 

[theclonewriter-blog]

“This is your daily, friendly reminder to use commas instead of periods during the dialogue of your story,” she said with a smile.

[onewordtest]

“Unless you are following the dialogue with an action and not a dialogue tag.” He took a deep breath and sat back down after making the clarifying statement. 

[joehywheelah]

“However,” she added, shifting in her seat, “it’s appropriate to use a comma if there’s action in the middle of a sentence.”

[tenoko1]

“True.” She glanced at the others. “You can also end with a period if you include an action between two separate statements.”

[cj-amused]

Things I didn’t know

[prismatic-bell]

“And–” she waved a pen as though to underline her statement–“if you’re interrupting a sentence with an action, you need to type two hyphens to make an en-dash.”

[wishyroses]

THANK YOU

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

4, 6, 11, 34. :)

Ok, I seriously underestimated how hard these would be to answer. 

4: Top 7 book characters.

Oh man, there’s so many ways to answer this one! We talking cultural significance or likability or what? (I’m going with characters who stuck in my head the longest after I put the book down.)

In no particular order:

1. Huck Finn, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2. Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter series

3. Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby

4. Kira, Gathering Blue

5. Sethe, Beloved

6. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, (I don’t even care if it’s cheating to include Hamilton in this list, Eliza is incredible and technically she is in a book.)

7. Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird

6: Book you cried the hardest reading?

I have to admit, I don’t cry too often when reading, but The Fault in Our Stars and The Art of Fielding both got some tears out of me. 

11: What is your favorite quote from a book?

Honestly, the ending of The Great Gatsby has stayed with me like no other ending line has:

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning-- 

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

34: Favorite book cover(s)?

I’ve always really loved the cover of first edition of Life of Pi: 

[disgruntledenglishmajor]

Book Questions!

1: What is your favorite book?

2: What was the last book you read?

3: What is the worst book you've ever read?

4: Top 7 book characters.

5: What is your favorite genre?

6: Book you cried the hardest reading?

7: Book you laughed the hardest reading?

8: Which book character(s) do you most relate to?

9: Favorite author(s)?

10: Do you judge books by their covers?

11: What is your favorite quote from a book?

12: Which book do you recommend to friends and family most?

13: Which book is so special to you that you don't share it with others?

14: Do you have any signed books?

15: Have you met any authors?

16: Buy books new, used, or go to the library?

17: Where is your favorite place to read?

18: Prefer books set in the past or the future?

19: What 5 elements would your ideal book have?

20: Do you ever hope to publish your own book?

21: Prefer stand alone or series?

22: Do you mark/highlight/dog ear your books or keep them in perfect condition?

23: Hardbacks or paperbacks?

24: Do you watch any booktubers?

25: Have you read _______?

26: Do you like twist endings?

27: Do you reread books?

28: E-readers or physical copies of books?

29: A book that makes you feel comforted?

30: Would you rather read any ending that makes you feel happy or sad?

31: Favorite villain in a book?

32: Do you like to write reviews when you finish a book?

33: Do you experience "book hangovers"?

34: Favorite book cover(s)?

35: Send me a book recommendation?

[pr1nceshawn]

Compelling First Lines of Famous Books.