My Desire To Study English Literature At A Level

It seems that the greatest situational irony encountered is life itself. For this reason I chose to study English Literature at A Level. Language is ceaseless and boundless and its only limits stem from the conscious decisions of the author, hence, every literary device and subtle inference is valid. All the artist begins with is an idea, from which all else blossoms; this idea is then nurtured and cared for, context is applied, structure is refined, vocabulary perfected and the masterpiece is born.

The art of literature ignites my curiosity, that feeling when you are reading and get so engrossed in the book that suddenly you can't hear yourself saying the words anymore, only scenarios being played out in your head. I love how completely out of touch with reality I am when I'm reading, it's the strangest most exhilarating feeling. I’m swept up into another place and time, be it 1930's America alongside Maya Angelou fighting oppression or trying to uncover the secrets of the Holy Grail in Dan Brown's nail biting conspiracy thriller. I love how words can totally transport me. This is why I want to study English combined with a social science at University.

I am fascinated by non-quintessential style of writing, in particular Vladimir Nabokov’s work, a short story, “A Letter That Never Reached Russia”, The plot of the story is concealed in the description. The letter is addressed to his “charming, dear, distant one”, Nabokov utilizes complex syntax reminiscing when we would meet, skipping school, on a frosty Petersburg morning, in the Suvorov Museum, so dusty, so small, so similar to a glorified snuffbox… how dazzled we were by the silvery blaze of the Tavri’cheski Park, and how odd it was to hear the cheery, avid, deep-fetched grunts of soldiers, lunging on command, slithering across the icy ground, plunging a bayonet into the straw-bellied German-helmeted dummy” In this sentence alone, Nabokov explores how much he valued the time he spent with his lover. This is through the attention to detail in his description of the day; it outlines how much he cherishes the memories. In addition to that, it also gives an insight into how important his lover was to him as well as revealing that the writer must have been filled with melancholy due to his loss.

In addition, I enjoy analyzing novels thematically. Orwell's collection of essays depicts his conflicted writing style, as he is simultaneously both patriotic to the British tradition, and opposed to it. Orwell's uncovering of a falsified British glory, correlates with Fitzgerald's disillusionment with the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. Furthermore, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness can be also be compared to Orwell's Shooting an Elephant. Both battle with British imperialism, and the falsified power that the Empire possessed, similarly, they argue that the superior 'civilized white man' dominated the natives apathetically and brutally, thus, dissolving the pretense of imperial glory.

Also, I believe that the study of psychology has helped me to develop key evaluative and analytical skills that correspond with the skills used when studying English Literature. Thus, I believe that the fusion of linguistic subjectivity of English and scientific objectivity of psychology merge together seamlessly. Freudian psychoanalysis commenced an era of psychological discovery, however, it is still an ever growing, developing art form. Skinner's operational conditioning was another leap for mankind. Skinner let us discover how world dictators could indoctrinate and manipulate generations into submission.

Recently, in my sixth form we spent months of meticulous planning and fundraising with the aim to organize an evening of entertainment for the local elderly, the evening itself was an inspiring experience because I learned to put aside any preconceptions that I may have had, and understand that people of all ages are important. These experiences will help me to cope with the pressure of university and to dedicate myself to my studies by being a leader, a team member, as well as an independent learner. University will be a new and exciting adventure that I am more than ready to start.