A Case for a 'Useless' Degree

Humans like stories. The desire for narrative cohesion is seen in the way we learn, entertain ourselves, justify our decisions, and reflect on them. This makes a strong case in favour of studying English - it's a way of studying everything. History, psychology, politics, philosophy, economics, sociology and likely much more are wrapped up in the complex story of us. And this is what literature essentially takes a section through and subjects to the microscope. 

Just as observations about a cell has implications for the rest of the body, so does the microcosm of a novel, or poem, or play fit neatly as a piece in each reader's worldview - differently, I should say - allowing us to advance our understanding not just of a culture or a situation or even of human nature in general, but of ourselves too. Why does this work affect us the way it does? What does this say about our beliefs, motivations, fears? Where do we place ourselves in that vast web to which we all belong? Questions we all find ourselves compelled to consider.

We're all plagiarists in the sense that we appropriate others' stories to help us make sense of these questions. Legends persist, finding new shapes as authors swallow them and frame the ideas with their own voices. Books become movies, movies become ballets, become theatre, become comics. All texts are in dialogue with each other. They're part of a very long, fascinating conversation that we can try to comprehend, maybe even participate in, by reading.