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THE CADRE, TUES., FEB. 19., 19,74 Page-10. ‘ \, leCLAIR contrarFRAZER '
Prof. Frazer, I most hum- ‘bly apologize, I apologize for my conduct, I apologize for being an atrocious stu- dent. My reading list is barely beyond the Marvel Comic stage, and even at that my powers for retaining any knowledge from what I have read are practically nil. I apologize for appar— ently knowing nothing about the English tradition, or its' varied implication. I apologize for my classroom manners. I apologize for my huge, vague generalizations, which amounted to windy expressions of ignorance. I apologize for my pitiful paper, pitiful exam, pitiful contribution to the study of English in general. I am exactly as you depict, a weepy. self—centered, hope— lessly ignorant clod. I . apologize for the fact that you felt personally attack- ed. I apologize for ever having doubted you at all... Furthermore, Prof. Frazer, I apologize for some of my thoughts. I looked at the 1973-4 calendar, for eflamp- 1e, and I noted fifteen names on the roster. Then I'looked in the course de- scriptions and could only find those names twice or at best three times. In other departments the numb— er of professors was sma— ller and their names app— eared before a lot more co— urse descriptions, some as many as five, six or even seven times. I must confess I doubted someone for some— thing, and for that I apol— ogize. For my thoughts were
very wicked. I thought to myself, "Strange," I thought, "so many people for one de- partment." Then I thought
of the numbers in each .class compared to other arts classes I have disgraced' with my peesence, ande th- ought, "Imagine, some prof— essors in the_Ehglish Dept. must teach to twenty, while some professors in other
, arts departments must teach 'to two hundred or more." I apologize, for at that poi— nt I did lose a bit of fai- th in the department, but of course, it is no con— cern of mine. I even went so far as to grossly imagine what equality would mean in terms of salary. I was ig- norant enough to think that
if you worked it out in terms of salary paid as po— rportional to people taught some English professors would be paid less than one or two thousand dollars per year. How hopelessly vul- gar I was!
Yes, and even that is not the worst. My evil eyes led me to read the course des- criptions. I discovered that the department offered precisely one, one semester course in translated con- tinental literature. I went further and tried to find courses that directly lin- ked literature to philosophy, politics, psychology, reli- gion or any other obviously‘ related fields. When I found there were none I said to myself, I confess it now, "Good Lord, all those peo: ple!" Then I tried to find
Some guys can go pelting down the Road of Life like an arrow. They never hesitate, never swerve, never even slow down.
But the rest of us get gnawed by these funny little questions. They come, unasked for, unwelcome and » usually about two o'clock in the morning. They can stop you cold in your tracks. Samples: Is this all there is? H everything‘s working out for me, why am I bugged? What in God's name am i doing anyway?
incods
feel like some dim-wit robotl programmed by someone else, maybe you should bless the questions, take advantage of the time—out, and think.
God's name you’re doing, why. not think about doing something in God 3 name?
A Reoemptorist.
right man.
THE REDEMPTORIST PRIESTS
Gerry Pettipas, C.S.S.R.,
426 St. Germain Avenue, Toronto NHN41WW-
(416)466-9265
If they persist“ if they make you
If you're asking yourself what in
That's right, a priest. It's an extraordinary life for the
Ask us about it. Phone or write:
courses on creative techni-i que and found there was one but it wasn't one being given. So I guess that str- ess must be placed on defi- nite skills, such as in— tense study of poetics, but when I leaked for these co- urses I only found one, and it was one semester. I won— dered about what seminar courses taught what, and found there were only two seminar courses being tau- ght per semester,-and they
/sa1d nothing about’subject matter. Again I apologize, but to myself I thought,
"GOd! All those people, all that money, for what?" I remember this all very sadly now but I must con— fess all.....
But by far my worst sin, my most horrible crime, was the fact that I had the un— believeable audacity to th- ink about my fellow majors. I was sick enough to’even give some merit to the idea that others might feel as I do. Of course, it is ob- v1ous now. My secrets are all out in the open. I am essentially illiterate &.
a spoiled brat. Nonetheless I perSisted in my madness.
I wondered why they were forced to take a survey“ course and then take course es-from every major time period in that/survey. I had the ridiculous idea th— at this was slightly unfair. I felt_it would be much better if people would be allowed to have a bit more to say in what part of a tradition they wish to studv. I actually thought it’to be essential that courses be given where literature is discussed in terms of rela— ted studies. I actually th— ought it of utmost importa- nce that creative writing be taught in many ways at all times. I actually thou— ght that the number of peo-r ple in the department as co— mpared to the number of seminar courses being tau- ght was out rageous. I ac- tually thought. imagine:
I was actually insane enou— gh to think it would be better if majors werefionly made to take the survey:
and that they be allowed to study whatever parts of that tradition they wanted and in whatever manner they wa- nted. Imagine my blatently stupid mindl! '
In conclusion Prof. Frazer, may I again reiterate my most humble apologies. You are correcto The study of English is only for the mo- re studious of our people. and here I am a most Path’ etic failure. I have been demented enough to cause your teaching methods to be questioned. I was wrong- You were right. You win.
Larry LeClair
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