What Use Was My English Degree?

My young nephew is in college, now and he is majoring in marketing, minoring in philosophy. Thus, one of the topics that came up the Thanksgiving table was “what was the use of his minoring in philosophy if he wasn’t planning to be an academic or a philosopher?”

And then, suddenly, I myself became the focus of attention because I majored in English, yet I am not going to be a Nobel prize winning writer or an English professor. In fact, in all likelihood, I’m going to be a poor, obscure political blogger for the rest of my life.

“What good did I do myself and others by majoring in English?” I was asked.

I couldn’t answer in a few words, so here I am, trying to justify my choice of major.

When I was in college, I thought that I was going to be a famous writer and an English professor and a professional journalist—all in one. I also thought I was going to be a political leader, so I took some philosophy and history course and I took a political philosophy course and a political science course(Marxism 101). Furthermore, I was involved in countless extracurricular political activities, which sort of took away from my being a great student in my official major, English.

So how did I serve myself being an English major, when, in the end, I did not become a a great writer or academic?

Well, here we go. First of all, being an English major taught me how to write well. I’m no Shakespeare, but when I’m involved in political or advocacy work or when I’m taking care of business-oriented stuff or when I’m just trying to make a special woman—or any special person, feel good(through a poem or letter), my writing skills serve me well.

Secondly, reading literature has made me a better activist and better person because literature helps me understand other human beings, including myself. If you understand the complexity of human beings-which literature helps one do-you’re more tolerant, patient, less demanding and less dogmatic. Literature, like religion(when it’s practiced properly!) helps one be merciful, compassionate, flexible, loving.

If I hadn’t been exposed to literature, I might have ended up like Hitler or Stalin—brutal, inflexible, heartless, crude. I might care less about other people—including my friends and relatives—because I wouldn’t have the patience to deal with anyone’s foibles. I might even self-destruct, because I wouldn’t be able to stand myself.

So I don’t regret my $60,000 English degree, because it helps me live like a human being, even if it doesn’t earn me a cent or make me famous.

Elton John

Elton John was my first musical idol. Needless to say I have always loved his recorded music, but I also love him as a live performer and furthermore, I think he is an admirable public figure.

Musically, Elton is a versatile composer. He writes excellent ballads, pop songs, instrumentals and rock songs—not all recording artists demonstrate such virtuosity.

As a live performer, Elton has always been unique. He’s a fine piano player(he can even play with his hands behind his back) and a good  singer too. And he is also a great showman. In his younger days, during performances,   he would do handstands on the piano. He also loves to smile and make silly faces at the audience and engage in humorous antics(one time, for a Central Park concert, he wore a Donald Duck suit). Although he has written and performed some beautiful serious songs, he likes to keep the concerts happy and light hearted and he refuses to take himself too seriously.

Elton gets a good reaction from his audiences—people dance and sing, laugh and cry and he almost always gets encore calls and flowers at the end of his shows.

As a public figure,  Elton is a trendsetter. He wears fashionable clothing, which is usually tasteful, although is often over the top, and of course, those who grew up in the seventies remember his outrageous trademark collection of sunglasses.

On a deeper level, as a public figure,  Elton has also become a great philanthropist and an activist. He has done a tremendous amount of work on behalf of the AIDS cause.

Though the public image of Elton John is that of a wealthy, successful, open and flamboyant figure, he came from a very modest, strict and traditional background.

As the autobiographical lyrics of the song “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy indicate:

Captain Fantastic

Raised and regimented

Hardly a hero

Just someone his mother might know

Very clearly a case for

Corn flakes and classics

Two teas both with sugar please

In the back of an alley…”

Being from such a “regimented” background, it must have been rough for him to come to terms with his gayness, never mind go public with it.

It must have also made more difficult his already arduous struggle to become a commercially  successful artist:

As is said in the same song, “Captain Fantastic..”, he and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin went through some tough times on their way to the top:

“And all this talk of  Jesus

coming back to see us

couldn’t fool us

for we were spinning out our lines

walking on the wire.

Hand in hand in music and the rhyme

The Captain and the Kid

Stepping in the ring

 From here on sonny

It’s a long and lonely climb.

For cheap easy meals

Hardly a home on the range

Too hot for the band

With desperate desire for change

We’ve thrown in the towel too manyy times

Out for the count

And when we’re down

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

From the end of the world  to your town.”

I conclude my piece with an Eltonian sentiment expressed in one of my favorite Elton John songs, “Philadelphia Freedom,”  in which Elton sings about  what its like to be free  to live a you choose:

“If you choose to you can live your life alone

Some people choose the city

Some choose the good old family home

I like living easy without family ties

‘Til the whippoorwill of freedom  zapped me

Right between the eyes.

Cause I live and breath this Philadelphia freedom

From the day that I was born I waved the flag

Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man

Gave me peace of mind my daddy never had…”

Virginia Woolf

Someone borrowed a book for me from the New York Public Library titled " Virginia Woolf: The Impact of Child Sex Abuse on Her Life and Work", written by a Woolf scholar, Louise DeSalvo.

I suggest that you all read it because it challenges the works of previous Woolf biographers, who underestimate the effect of on Woolf's psyche and even try to discredit her reports, of sex abuse . I'm only about 22 pages into it and already find it informative and fascinating. i recall a lit class in which my professor said that Woolf, for some reason, "hated to do it" and did not explain why. it appears that he/she may have read one of the biographers who, according to DeSalvo, brush the sex abuse issue under the rug and blame Woolf for her frigidity and general madness. DeSalvo debunks these writers by showing that many of Woolf's psychological problems had a root in her troubled childhood and that she was not just mysteriously depressed, neurotic, insane and suicidal.

Hope you all get the opportunity to check out at least some of this book because it provides insight not only into Woolf's life but her writings, as well.

Craig R. Bayer, 4/11/14

Welcome

Welcome to my Brit Lit and Music Page, focused mainly on DH Lawrence, but also featuring other 18th,19th and 20th Century British writers! I will also write about 20th and 21st Century British Rock'n'Rollers!