Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Bleak Trudge

It’s been a few weeks now and I have blanked out about updating this, mostly because of the work pile that came tumbling down my first weekend in Alpine. Emma and Joseph Andrews were discussed at length. I ended up talking too much because Dr. Hileman would ask questions only to be greeted with dead silence. At one point she had to say, “Will someone who is not Amber answer the question?” So I shut up.

I had my meeting with Dr. H about my prospectus and thesis. We decided on my thesis committee—Dr. Butler and Dr. Nelson in addition to Dr. H. Dr. Butler taught my creative writing class last spring and I have had Dr. Nelson twice before. I think they are both smart, good ladies who won’t totally trash me when it comes time for my defense. I was actually surprised to learn that for my actual thesis I don’t have to write a whole novel, only a portion of it. As for the actual prospectus, it won’t be too tough. About five pages of narrative, an outline, and a five to six page bibliography due by the middle of April. Not so much the butt-kicker as I expected.

For the next weekend, I have already finished Jane Eyre, which I really liked. I have some discussion questions that I am about a third of the way through. I’m also pushing my way through Dickens’ Bleak House. It has some funny sections, but, being Dickens there are about a million characters with interweaving storylines and two separate narrators. I have had to start writing down some of the characters because I just can’t keep track of all the lawyers and scribes and random folks wandering through the novel.

Aside from that I’m patching together a presentation on the Gothic novel. It is so great to be surprised when you study something you smugly thought you knew about. I keep losing my way in theory essays that go much deeper than is necessary. It reminds me how much I love learning and indicates that while it may be a while before I take up the mantle again, this masters won’t be the last stop on my educational journey.

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