Since I was nine years old, I have always enjoyed reading. Given that I was a rather shy child growing up, literature allowed me to escape to another, more exciting world. It allowed me to live another life in an entirely separate reality. Even at a young age, I knew that books were special. Unlike films, which are a fairly new medium, the practice of telling stories, either orally or written, is a practice that dates back to the earliest human societies. As humans, we have an inherent desire to tell stories. In many ways, these tales help to define our existence. They provide us with our beliefs regarding morality, love, kindness, joy, suffering, and pain.
There is a reason why young children learn through examining picture books. Books allow a developing mind to grasp complex ideas, because stories allow for these ideas to be simplified. I find it incredible that I can open up a book like Stoker’s Dracula or Shelley’s Frankenstein and immediately be transported to a place with its own unique characters and mythology. The author who hand-wrote the words that my eyes are diligently scanning lived over a century ago. Yet, in that moment, I am existing within the same universe as Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley.
Thus, it is no surprise, looking back, that I decided to become an English major. I believe that books are one of the few ways that we are able to connect directly with our past. By taking classes that allow me to closely explore the relationship between literature and society I am, by extension, learning more about the human race. I am learning about its psychology; what we are afraid of and what we value. I am learning about how and why we love and what leads us to commit acts of hatred and violence towards one another.
Furthermore, since my eventual goal is to attend law school, many of the skills I am acquiring as an English major are directly applicable to a career in the law. When writing an essay, I have to interpret a large body of text and then craft an argument based upon a close reading of said text. I also must use direct textual evidence to further support my various assertions. This is quite similar to the ways in which lawyers go about their daily work. I also believe that trial work is analogous to telling a story. Whether the prosecution or the defense, both sides are attempting to sell the jury on a certain narrative of events.
When I entered college, I switched my major twice before deciding on English. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Not only am I learning practical, real world skills I am also engaging in the study of a field that has profoundly influenced the human race: literature. I am learning more about myself as well as the world around me. Stephen King has referred to books as a “uniquely portable magic.” I, for one, am in complete agreement with him.
