Concluding Thoughts

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RMST was a great course that really pushed me to read new things and explore new ideas throughout the semester. If I’m being completely honest, I was a little skeptical going into the course. I haven’t taken many literature classes during my degree and really disliked the English classes that I had to take during high school. That being said, the low stakes approach to learning and the opportunity to read books for the sake of reading books was very refreshing. I think that a lot of students (myself very much included) get very jaded about reading with the sheer volume of course readings we get assigned every week so it was nice to get to read things that weren’t academic papers. It was almost a little fun to get to read things that were completely outside of my field and I would most likely have never read otherwise.

In a bit of a contradiction to what I said above, I really enjoyed reading books that connected in some way with my degree. I study Political Science, and so much of politics and the way that we view governments and states can be understood through narrative. I found getting to know what life was like in different eras to be fascinating (such as Francoist Spain and Communist Romania). Reading these books really allowed me to get to know a more human side of political issues in these countries and it was really cool to see how day to day life went on amidst turmoil and authoritarianism.

My favorite book in this course was definitely “The Trenchcoat” solely because of the really fascinating setting in communist Romania. It was really cool to get to know a little bit about life in Romania and hear about the anxieties and day to day life of the characters in the book. The style of the book was also really cool and the use of the trenchcoat as a plot piece was very cool. I also really enjoyed Nada for similar reasons about the politics in Spain at the time.

Taking this course allowed me to view reading as something to appreciate for itself rather than as a means to an end. I really appreciated the low-stakes structure of the course that allowed us to read without being stressed about missing some detail or theme. It was very refreshing to read something without being stressed about it and be challenged to read narratives that I would most likely have never chosen to read myself. To leave you all with one (admittedly very obvious) final discussion question; how did you enjoy the course?

Comments

  1. Daniel OrizagaApril 10, 2024 at 12:08 AM

    “I’m being completely honest, I was a little skeptical going into the course.“ We like that, honesty and skepticism :) One of the ideas on which the course is built, as you may have noticed, is the possibility of choosing between very varied novels. If you found them useful for your studies or you simply liked them (despite your initial doubts) I think it was worth all your effort. Don't stop reading for pleasure! Happy summer

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  2. AnonymousApril 10, 2024 at 9:36 PM

    The comment about how personal narrative can fit into the political is really enlightening. I feel like politics can be a little cold but the narratives are a good reminder than at the end of the day it's about people life and not statistics or whatever. Also agree that the trench coat was an under-fucking-rated book, really enjoyed it.

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  3. Ximena AvendanoApril 11, 2024 at 2:23 PM

    Hey, I also think this course changed the way I appreciate reading a bit. To answer your question I had a great time, and although at times some of the books weren't for me and it could be a lot to read, I enjoyed the discussions and found more authors and novels that I may not have otherwise.

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  4. Julia WApril 11, 2024 at 8:55 PM

    Hi there! I really enjoyed this course, particularly the layout. I found a deeper appreciation for literature, and learned how to connect with a novel. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere, everyone was so kind, and many laughs and memories came with this class. - Julia Wouters

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  5. Yiwen GuoApril 11, 2024 at 9:37 PM

    Hi Glen, I totally agree with what you said. And, I think this form of reading and discussion allows us to chew on the book over and over again, rather than going through the motions.

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  6. Steve KimApril 11, 2024 at 11:27 PM

    I fully agree that it was jaded to read a fair amount of books. Although it was my choice to make a contract, reading a book every week was not an easy process. But it was also very enjoyable reading books and discussing in the comfortable atmosphere in the lecture. It helped me to understand the book even deeper.

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  7. alexandraApril 11, 2024 at 11:33 PM

    I too, have not taken many English courses before taking this class. Actually, the only English class I have taken before this was WRDS 150, which wasn't as much about literature, more about research. It’s interesting that you connected more with the books that talked about government as I also enjoyed those ones the most. Now, I wanna read “The Trenchcoat”! I’m super interested in communist Romania and wish I chose this book now. -Alexandra

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