Reading a text in its original language allows us to connect with the author

I chose the Department of English Literature because I wanted to study issues of racism and discrimination against black people from a literary perspective. I was shocked to see the current state of discrimination against black people when I studied abroad in the U.S. during high school, where I first became interested in these issues.

My specialty is American literature, focusing on literature from the American South, where issues of discrimination against black people are extensive. One book that stuck with me was a biography from the 1800s titled “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Jacobs. As I relived the life of an actual slave girl, I became aware of the many issues surrounding racism.

Sophia’s English Literature Department is small, with only 10-15 students per class. From the beginning of my enrollment, the curriculum was designed to improve my basic English skills. I was particularly impressed with the “Discussion and Presentation” class, where we had to present our discussions in English. With the generous support of the professors, I improved my ability to communicate and deepened my connections with my classmates.

In addition, the English classes in my department are not only about learning English, but also about improving one’s ability to read and understand literary works. The English Literature Department offers a different approach to learning English than regular language classes. Through these classes, I have developed my ability to read and comprehend texts in their original language.

Reading original texts without translation is challenging, but it is crucial for understanding the author’s intentions. One assignment instructed us to translate an English work into Japanese. I discovered that translating was much more difficult than I had imagined, and once complete, the original meaning was no longer fully conveyed. Only by reading a work in both English and Japanese can one grasp the differences in nuance and accurately understand the author’s thoughts and message. For me, this is exactly what makes the study of English and American literature so interesting.

Knowing the historical background allows me to understand the modern world

Studying English and American literature has taught me the importance of not judging others based on one’s own opinions. Different people have different views of the same work of art in front of them, so it’s impossible for one opinion to be considered “right.” When we covered “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl in class, we read it from the perspective of colonialism. I was surprised to confront the work from such a perspective, which made me keenly aware of the importance of considering different angles.

Knowing the background of something is another important lesson I have learned during these four years. It is interesting to find out why a work of art was created when you look into its historical background. When I see the relationship between a work of art and its history, I can learn more and more from it. We need to know the background to understand the weight of the work and what the author is trying to convey. I think this is true for all events in the world.

For example, in times of emergency like pandemics and hurricanes, racial protest movements such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) tend to become more active because of the continuing history that has relegated black people to a lower societal position than whites due to economic disparity.

In times of peace, this is hidden in everyday life, but in times of emergency, the problems rise to the surface as vulnerable people are forced into even more difficult situations. This background changes the way we perceive the hashtag “BLM” as a trend in social media. I believe that I acquired this perspective because I learned the importance of knowing the background through English and American literature.

Learning across departmental boundaries allows me to see topics from new perspectives

I am enrolled in the Faculty of Humanities “Humanities Across Departments” program, which allows students from different departments to take courses outside their area of study. It is very interesting because it offers a different approach to learning from the English Literature Department. I was able to take classes that explored the relationship between jazz music and BLM.

Sophia makes it relatively easy to take courses in other departments. I was particularly impressed with the Psychology Department’s “Community Psychology” course, which deals with psychological discrimination against people with disabilities. It was interesting to learn about discrimination, which I had previously covered through literature, from a completely different psychological perspective.

During these four years, I also studied abroad for a year in New Orleans, a city in the southern United States famous as the birthplace of jazz, through an exchange program. New Orleans is known to be racially diverse, with black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and many other ethnic groups. I was always unsure of what to do and worried about things, so I spent every day helping other international students from other countries, but thanks to this, I learned to communicate with people around me and rely on others more than ever before.

Next year I will be entering the workforce, and my current goal is to gain experience and become someone who can be relied on by those around me. I want to maintain my same attitude toward communication and cooperativeness. I cherish the relationships I have made with my friends on the home-like Sophia campus and will continue to stay friends with them for the rest of my life.

※Please note that the content of this article is current as of November 2021