Sorry for the rant...

Here's my problem with today's educational system. The emotion behind all of it is never encouraged. We read a book about slavery and we read a book about the holocaust and we are told to make arguments. We read a book about the holocaust and we are supposed to analytically take it apart and be smart about it. I certainly understand the value in the ability to do this, and i certainly don't expect this particular class to be the front-runner to where I think schooling should be (I think Talissa is wonderful and I almost always enjoy class... though maybe that's just because i'm loud), but there's also a dire necessity for emotions. It's not like they're not there anyway, they're just partitioned away in the corner. You can't ARGUE about someone's emotional reaction to a book (well you can, but you'd be wrong... and a jerk). You can't satisfy people's desires to EXPLAIN everything through taking a thoughtful and honest look at how a book makes you feel--I mean, you can, but you better not turn it in because you'll get a C.

I think it has to do with our culture's tendency to want EVERYthing IMMEDIATELY, ALL THE TIME. Why consider how a book changes you emotionally over time when you can pull apart details and form them into a mildly-amusing, skill-building paper that demonstrates your ability to express your thoughts coherently? Who needs emotions when you have a FIERY INTELLECT?!?!?!!!?

Of course the reason we don't express ourselves emotionally in the world of academics to satiate our desire to fit in. Plus we get to feel superior if other people express emotions as equally important as fancy theses.

Ok. That was getting a little too skeptical. I mean, i had to write something! Did everyone know that the nazis created a new way to speak (which roughly translates to bureaucratese) in which nobody had to take responsibility for anything they did since it was always because of orders? That way everyone could be blameless for committing atrocities: just say someone else made you do it.