Overall, I really enjoyed History as Fiction. I think it's a really interesting topic for an English class as opposed to say, a history class or philosophy class. Lots of the things we dealt with could have fit in either of those courses, but it was nice to look at it from a literary standpoint.
I'm surprised that there were so many books that could work for this course. I mean, I know there is a whole genre of historical fiction, but for there to be that amount of books with a metafictional aspect, I was shocked by. I think this metafictional aspect brings in the philosophical thoughts to the equation, and that is what makes the course mentally challenging.
Sometimes, during our discussions, I would find myself contemplating the big questions, especially when Mr. Mitchell would ask things like, "what is history?" That's not exactly something you can answer in a sentence or two. But even if we never figured out a concrete answer, those questions that led to discussions, supported by the books we were reading, helped me to think about the true nature of history and fiction (if there can be a
"true" nature).
Although this course was a lot of work, I really liked the variety of the assignments. There was reading, blogging, big papers, small papers, and presentations. It was difficult to get through everything, but it was never boring to accomplish, and in the end, I felt like I had created something worthwhile to read and listen to.
Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, for an amazing two semesters during my senior year; you have made me a better writer, reader, and ultimately, a thinker.
1 comment:
Thank you, Vivian, for your thoughtful and engaged participation. I've stressed from the start that this course has been experimental for me--I've been on this ride along with the rest of you, and I've definitely got a more nuanced understanding of these questions (and of how they play out aesthetically, in fiction) than I did when I first proposed the course. A good group of students makes all the difference.
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