Reflection

As confusing and frustrating as The Theory Toolbox was to read, I found myself actually interested in it’s content. It’s ambiguity amazed me. I honestly couldn’t comprehend the credibility behind such a anti-climatic, dead-end style critique of all of the elements I use to write everyday. Each chapter had me questioning the psychoanalytical purpose of everything I ever did when critiquing and theorizing a subject. In the long run, I think it may have really broadened my understanding of an analysis and all of the factors and even sub-factors that have to be incorporated in order to make a significant contribution. So, in my reflection of the English 299, I’ve come to realize that I really enjoyed TheoryCamp. The classes were interesting, as almost everyone had the opinion to become engaged with the topics. Hearing the debating literary critiques come to play in the class dialogue was eye-opening. I think the best part was that no one was really ever crossed out as wrong, as the Theory Toolbox really just presented a highly methodical series of suggestions that seem to reoccur. I liked how each chapter ended with the lead-way into further conversation, almost as if to say– there’s no finalized understanding or correct approach in theory, only just deeper and deeper knowledge of it. Interestingly, during TheoryCamp, many of my classes were discussing many similar topics– such as the elements of Space and Time. I felt like, because of the dialogue I had been experiencing in ENGL299, I had a better grounding and comprehension of quite a lot of material for other classes. Overall, I enjoyed the class. I’ll particularly miss the completely absurd conversations that sprout from some of the incredibly intelligent students (and professor) in the class.