I understand the need for large research universities to have intensive english (that is, crunch english for foreign students). But If you look at the catalog of any university english program, it's basically divided into the crunch english and then "history of literature".
I was going over some literary works not too long ago with someone and they threw in the "I have two literary degrees!" (as if that means anything) and I start bringing up some of the French and British classics, and they had NO clue what I was talking about because two degrees, all those classes, and multiple dissertations later, and they didn't even actually cover literary history. It turns out they just discussed specific literature through the lens of post-modernist interpretation.
When I asked why they never heard of the books and prose I brought up, they retorted "You just brought up some obscure works no one has ever heard of. Those aren't classics."
It's shocking, really. Kids are going through these programs to be de-educated.
English
I understand the need for large research universities to have intensive english (that is, crunch english for foreign students). But If you look at the catalog of any university english program, it's basically divided into the crunch english and then "history of literature".
It’s more “critical post modernist interpretation of literature” than “history”
You're literally 100% correct.
I was going over some literary works not too long ago with someone and they threw in the "I have two literary degrees!" (as if that means anything) and I start bringing up some of the French and British classics, and they had NO clue what I was talking about because two degrees, all those classes, and multiple dissertations later, and they didn't even actually cover literary history. It turns out they just discussed specific literature through the lens of post-modernist interpretation.
When I asked why they never heard of the books and prose I brought up, they retorted "You just brought up some obscure works no one has ever heard of. Those aren't classics."
It's shocking, really. Kids are going through these programs to be de-educated.