To Reading English Literature

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Salaam and Greetings All,

 

When I graduated with English Literature some 28 years ago and coming back to Malaysia from US, I had lots of mixed feelings. When people asked me what I studied in US, and I told them that, I can see from the look of their faces, they don’t know what to make of me.

 

Now, I have fun telling people because, they have this awe on their faces. Like I am special. Maybe because we (those that studied Literature), are an endangered species.

 

So, what is so special about studying English Literature?

 

<!1.   You get to read books about people and places and things you can’t even possibly imagine, let alone do. Go 20,000 leagues under the sea with Captain Nemo. The frustration of a determined woman at the turned off the 20th Century New York, oppressed by the family in the Bread Giver. You get to read what Self – Reliance is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

<!2.   You get to learn from them. Smart people learn from Experience. Wise people learn from the experience of others. Sure, there is no better substitute than experience. I do believe, we don’t have to experience them all.

<!3.    You get to know the culture, the history, the people, the mind-set.

<!4.    You get to be critical of what they write, why they write what they write.

<!5.    You get to test your mind, heart and soul, and to see how it reflects against the writing and the writer.

 

Most important of all, you learn to enjoy the gift of words, from thoughts to paper. To read the intimate thoughts of a writer. What beguiles him or her? What hurts him/her? What brings him/her joy?

 

So, what? How does that make me a better person, a better leader or get a better job?

 

Learning to read is important. I am not talking about making sounds of the printed words or know the meaning of each word. In today’s Knowledge Economy, Knowledge Worker needs to read a lot to keep up to date of their jobs and the industry they are in. Literal reading doesn’t cut it anymore.

 

If you keep the wisdom of the books in the books. The books will do nothing to you. If you learn to apply what you read, your perspective on things will forever change.

 

There is a need for reading at the workplace. I call it “C4s of Work Place Reading”. Former army guy, and combat trained, C4 sounds nostalgic.  It stands for “Content, Context, Connection and Comprehension”. It can be used for any reading for any subject matter.

<!·       Content. The actual subject matter.

<!·        Context. In what context is the content being written in. Are we talking about current, future, historical?

<!·        Connection. How does the Content and Context, connects with other Content?

<!·        Comprehension. Having some insights on the Content, Context and Connection, comprehension will be easier.

 

While studying literature, that’s what my lecturers will ask us to do. May not be in those sequence or that manner. But, basically, that is what it is.

 

When I started studying literature, it was difficult for me. I do not know the history, culture and the people. I don’t know why they do things they do. I don’t even know why they write what they write.

 

When I started applying the C4s, I realize, things are easier to understand and comprehend. I become an active reader, instead of just a passive reader. Critical and not just accepting.

 

To all my lecturers at Fairleigh Dickinson University at Teaneck NJ, and University of Massachusetts at Amherst, thank you for giving me the gift of books, reading and the wisdom that comes with it.

 

Have fun and take care Y’all.

 

Thoughts and prayers to MH370.

 

 

http://thots2paper.blogspot.com/

 

 

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