Justification

"We can take with us from this world nothing that we have received, only what we have given."

Sorry. I saw this in my research for my comps (about the play Everyman). I liked it, so here it is.

Just Making a Quick Note

I was told to thoroughly study my texts for the comp exams. The hint I got from a friend was to make as many connections between the texts as possible. Before I have even started looking at these, I have at least one connection -- The Wanderer/The Seafarer and Frankenstein both feature outcasts -- the effect of removing the character from society -- the characters experiences in exile. I just wanted to remind myself of this (also think bildungsroman).

Achoo, Achoo

Sorry. That's what I always think when I see the title, Absalom, Absalom! I want to say, "Bless you!"

Why, you ask, would I have stumbled on that Faulkner title? Well, the reading list has arrived! They released the comp lists today, actually. I'm really excited about it. First, because of the make up of the list, I am betting Dr. Giles is one of the graders for the exam. Second, the make up of the list seriously favors someone who was stuck in Aurora University's British Lit courses and who has stumbled forwards through a variety of period-type courses throughout her career in literature studies -- yep, that's right -- IT'S ME! Something finally worked out in my favor.

"The Wanderer" and "The Seafarer" (two old English poems that I have studied at least twice in classes); Everyman (a medieval morality play -- I've come across a lot of these, though not this specific one); Frankenstein (can I just say here, YEEEEAAAAAHHHH! I KNOW THIS ONE REALLY WELL); Nights at the Circus (now, I have never heard of this before, but it looks like a late Victorian novel moving into Virginia Woolf-type feminist themes?); William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! (I love Faulkner and I know a lot about him); and Toni Morrison's Beloved.

I know that Dr. Giles almost used Beloved instead of Sula in our African-American Lit class last term. He must have known it was going to be on the list -- he must be one of the graders! And I would be Dr. Gomez-Vega or Dr. Bill Johnson would be the others. All of these are just awesomely easy graders -- or I'm a great writer who just happens to write stuff that they like really consistently. I'll take either, really, because I have "turned over a new leaf" as an English major -- I don't care if I get "A's", I don't care if I am the top of my class. I don't want to get into the next greatest school. I am just wanting to graduate and be done with all of this nonsense -- and nonsense it all is.

One of my favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes is on right now (Deanna Troi is having a baby). I am going to have a cigarette and then watch it.