Great Expectations

Quite honestly this is probably going to be the class I most enjoy this semester. It was the only class I actively sought out and made sure each day that it was not yet full. Why? Because I have never enjoyed an English class as much as Dr. Sexsons Classical Mythology. Most classes, and I would wager this is the same for all students, are quickly forgotten along with the material. However, I can still tell you why the movie Groundhog's Day is important, and am happy to see it has been incorporated into this class, and what memesis and catharsis mean.

I feel this class will be extremely stimulating given the topic ideas and the subject matter. I am, as Dr. Sexson pointed out, a bit intimidated by our "white elephant" though I think it will be a beneficial struggle. Now on to my views of high brow/low brow. I dealt with this idea often in Literary Criticism and I think it is quite intriguing. My understanding is that high brow is something that is deemed both culturally and intellectually rich and often is disliked by the general public. Usually it is something traditional, for example an excellent graphic novel would probably not be considered high brow no matter the content, and it is something with a tangible value. Low brow, on the other hand, is often something that is enjoyed by the general public for its escapist values and often the ability for one to "turn off" their brain when encountering it. Low brow art would be something consumed for pleasure not intellectual value and it is often considered easy to create.

Because of these ideas I think the exploration of this subject will be very interesting. I am already finding the class to be promising having started reading Haroun and the Sea of Stories. My hope that this class will exceed any expectations I come with, which I would bet it will.