Relection

Reflection

                Every year I have dreaded the novels we would be forced to read and the seemingly endless Socratic circles that would ensue. It seems that no matter how good a novel is, when forced upon me, I immediately but my back up and before I have even opened the book I have made predictions about how awful it will be. I remember laughing at the last semester group about their blogs and thinking how stupid of an idea it was. However, in hindsight I should not have come to such conclusions.

                Initially it seemed that this whole blog thing was going to be an attempt to try to make the curriculum “cool” but I must say I take all that back, it was such a natural fit for doing homework and made completing assignments very easy. My eyes have been opened to what Canadian literature can become when done well, much like any work of literature. I have often found that Canadian novels like “White Fang” by Jack London were all that existed for Canadian literature and for that reason had given up on reading novels by Canadian authors. I must say though when done correctly much like Jane Urquhart has done with her novel “The Stone Carvers” it can be very rewarding. It is also a nice feeling to see all the things critics had to say about her novel and how positive the comments were towards Canada. Being the neighbour to the US, Canada often is overshadowed in many ways so it’s nice to hear about your country every now and then.

                I wouldn’t specifically say that by reading this novel I have gained a heightened sense of reading but what I would comment on is that when it comes down to writing, now realizing that if done well you can write novels about anything you like and if done well will be taken seriously. Trying to implement this into my writing may take time but I think even gaining this knowledge will ultimately help my writing. The other thing that has helped enormously is the peer editing groups. It gave you a vast array of opinions that helped give you a more rounded perspective of your work, rather than one person’s opinions and the direction they feel you should go.

                Overall I feel that I have learned exploring homework through the facet of technology has proved to work exceptionally well. It almost felt natural to do work as I am always near some kind of computer so when ideas would pop into my head I could rush over and write these things down rather than searching for a piece of paper and pen. In short, the ISU has helped develop my opinion of Canadian literature by showing me that there are novels that exist that can be interesting. The other thing I learned throughout this process was how helpful your peers could be, and just how important they were to the overall quality of your work.