For Literature students, studying this major may sometimes be a double edged sword. On one side, it can be the best thing they’ve decided to learn. They’re finally studying their passion. They read, analyze and dissect every piece of text they can get their hands on and they love it! Feeling giddy whenever getting the metaphors, puns or symbolisms authors leave across the text. But on the other hand, it can be a very doubtful major for those who don’t study it and don’t understand it. Mainly the doubtful can be family members or friends who don’t comprehend the love for reading and can’t help to always comment or question them about it. For example:
1. “So, are you going to become an English teacher?”
How many times students have to say that studying literature doesn’t mean they’ll automatically want to become teachers? Yes, some of them go down the education path, but mostly it’s because they decided to teach, not because they didn’t have any other choice of work!
2.“But how can you make a career out of it? You will never find a good job by knowing which book to recommend or not.”
Believe them when they tell you that many careers do exist for literature majors. They can work at publishing houses, the media, journalism, marketing, advertising, can be writers, reviewers, bloggers, translators and so much more. Recommending good books to their friends and family is just a bonus.
3. “You have it easy! The only thing you do is read, it’s not that difficult, right?”
Excuse me while I go to the corner and start laughing hysterically.
Yes, they’re constantly reading every day of every week and loving it, but that doesn’t mean its easy! Students analyze every piece of text with scrutiny, try to comprehend symbolisms and themes, learn historic time periods that influenced the text, cultural movements, write pages and pages of analysis and essays, write short stories and poems, and even sometimes read novels that bore them to death. You may think it’s a walk in a park, but I assure you, if you could trade your major with theirs for one week, you wouldn’t survive if you don’t like it.
4. “Why don’t you study a second major? So you can, you know, have a plan B that actually generates money for you.”
No, most of them don’t want a second major in Biology or Law. Some do have second majors or minors, although it’s because they want to, not on account of the fear of never succeeding in life. For those who don’t have one, they probably are happy with what they got and please stop thinking they’re going to be broke because of their major because they won’t!
5. “You study Literature? You don’t look like it.”
What is that even supposed to mean?
Do they have to dress a certain way? Do people think they all need to look like the stereotypical “bookworm” or that they’re all antisocial and prefer to be in a bubble reading books than to socialize? Well…many of them, but not the majority! Stop thinking of stereotypes and stop generalizing! Literature students have a very diverse community!
6. “Why do you have to complicate everything? If the author says it was raining, it doesn’t mean it’s because it reflects the solitude, emptiness and sadness of a character, it was just raining!”
Oh my sweet summer child, what do you know? Your confusion is understandable, maybe even some Literature majors have asked that question themselves, but, it is their job to interpret words and actions that the author probably wrote unconsciously or on purpose. They work to uncover every bit, and that’s why the fact that is raining in the text can be very important after all! The little details make all the difference.
7. “Should I dress as Frankenstein for Halloween? I’ve always wanted to dress as a monster!”
Every time somebody mentions this, students cry a little inside. How many times have they explained that Frankenstein is not the monster, but the scientist that created it! As in Victor Frankenstein! I know many haven’t read the book, or nobody has ever told you about this fact, but now you do. So please, never say it again. It’s a lie that has plagued this world for too many years.
Now in all seriousness, we know many ask these questions with no harm intended and is completely understandable, so don’t worry if you have asked some of it before, every one of us has had that moment where we say what we don’t mean, so don’t worry about it! No harm done! Although it can become frustrating for Literature students who hear it all the time. But we have each other’s backs and that’s what important. So if you have a friend who studies it, now you know how to annoy them. Good luck!