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iduals and societies? What is the significance of the written word in a society
where the construction of history is not necessarily recorded or even linear?
I soon discovered that the general scope of comparative literature fell short of my expectations
because it didn't allow students to question the inherent integrity or subjectivity of their
discourse. We were being told to approach Asian, African, European, and American texts with
the same analytical tools, ignoring the fact that, within each culture, literature may function in a
different capacity, and with a completely different sense of urgency. Seeking out ways in which
literature tangibly impacted societies, I began to explore other fields, including history,
philosophy, anthropology, language, and performance studies.
The interdisciplinary nature of my work is best illustrated by my senior thesis ("Time Out of
Joint: Issues of Temporality in the Songs of Okot p'Bitek"). In addition to my literary
interpretations, the thesis drew heavily on both the Ugandan author's own cultural treatises
and other anthropological, psychological, and philosophical texts. By using tools from other
disciplines, I was able to interpret the literary works while developing insight into the Ugandan
society and popular psychology that gave birth to the horrific Idi Amin regime. In addition, I was
able to further understand how people interacted with the works and incorporated (or failed to
incorporate) them into their individual, social, and political realities.
On a more practical level, writing the thesis also confirmed my suspicion that I would like to
pursue an academic career. When I finished my undergraduate career, I felt that a couple of
years of professional work would give me a better perspective of graduate school. I decided to
secure a position which would grant me experiences far removed from the academic world, yet
which would also permit me to continue developing the research and writing skills I needed to
tackle the challenges of graduate school. I have fulfilled this goal by working as a content
developer at a Silicon Alley web start-up for two years. The experience has been both
enjoyable and invaluable -- to the point where colleagues glance at me with a puzzled look
when I tell them I am leaving the job to return to school. In fact, my willingness to leave such a
dynamic, high-paying job to pursue my passion for literature only reflects my keen
determination to continue along the academic path.
Through a Masters program, I plan to further explore the issues I confronted during my
undergraduate years by integrating the study of social, cultural, and linguistic anthropology into
the realm of literature. I believe that, by adopting tools used in such disciplines, methods of
inquiry can be formulated that allow for the interpretation of works that are both technically
sound and sociologically insightful. Thus far, my studies have concentrated largely on African
and Caribbean literatures, and I am particularly interested in studying these geographic areas
in more specific historical and cultural contexts. I also seek to increase my knowledge of
African languages, which will allow me to study the lingering cultural impact of colonialism in
modern-day African literature. Eventually, I would like to secure an academic post in a
Comparative Literature department, devoting myself t本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。