Help me decide.

[Shakira]

Hi friends.

Im a bit confused. From different options I have to choose one topic for my MA course. The following are the options :

1. New Literatures in English [this is mainly Indian literature]
2. Gender in Literature
3. American Literature from the Beginning to 1900
4. Language, Communication & Culture
5. Aesthetics – I

Please can anyone help me out in deciding about the topics. I was thinking about choosing American literature. Any help will be highly acknowledged.

[Charles Darnay]

With American lit. you'd probably be reading Steinbeck, Hemmingway, maybe Faulkner, Ellison - if these appeal to you then take that.

[Pensive]

American Literature is a good choice but if it would have been me, I would not have chosen it because there will be Virginia Woolfe there, isn't she? But don't worry because there will also be good authors there like Steinback, Edgar Allen Poe, etc and if you are more satisfied with what this topic offers, I think that you should select it.

[mono]

1. New Literatures in English [this is mainly Indian literature]
Knowing very little of this subject, I cannot recommend much of primarily Indian literature in English.

2. Gender in Literature
This could seem very, very interesting, in my opinion, exploring many of the gender roles in literature, which may also reflect the gender roles in historical and contemporary society. :nod:

3. American Literature from the Beginning to 1900
Wow, that sounds like a lot of literature to cover, beginning in the times of Pilgrims, Puritans, and Quakers to the time of the Industrial Revolution. Though I do not doubt the class' great amount of knowledge, it seems like much to learn; so if you want a good lesson of history, religion, and ethics, I would choose this one.

4. Language, Communication & Culture
The description sounds a little vague, yet fascinating, nonetheless.

5. Aesthetics – I
Though I do not claim aesthetic seem an easy area of study, I absolutely fell in love with aesthetics, after taking a few classes for it. For anyone who does not know, aesthetics define the philosophical study of beauty and sublimity. Others may find the subject somewhat boring and immensely complex, but I, personally, loved it! ;)

[Scheherazade]

With American lit. you'd probably be reading Steinbeck, Hemmingway, maybe Faulkner, Ellison - if these appeal to you then take that.Since it is 'American Literature from the Beginning to 1900', I doubt you would be reading those authors, Shakira.

And Woolf is British so she wouldn't be included in the list either. Maybe Henry James, LM Alcott, Melville, Emerson, Thoreau, Poe and Hawthorne?

I would go for a topic which would let comparative research such as Gender in Literature. That way you wouldn't have to restrict yourself with one period.

[mono]

Since it is 'American Literature from the Beginning to 1900', I doubt you would be reading those authors, Shakira.

And Woolfe is British so she wouldn't be included in the list either. Maybe Henry James, LM Alcott, Melville, Emerson, Thoreau, Poe and Hawthorne?
Precisely, this would explore literature spanning from colonial times to the Industrial Revolution: basically those who wrote from the late 1500's and early 1600's to the year 1900. It sounds like a lot to study, and rather complex, but very interesting, likely delving into various subjects of religion, ethics, reform, war, politics, etc.

[cruciverbalist]

Personally, I'd be more interested in American Literature as well, although I tend to prefer modern American writing(Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Hemingway etc). But as your course covers early American literature, I suppose it would include Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Thoreau, Poe, Henry James and perhaps even American colonial literature.
Virginia Woolfe was British, so she wouldn't be included under American literature.
Ultimately, your choice of course should depend on your interests, whether they are inclined towards literature or courses focussing on linguistics or the theory of literature or literary analysis in a specific field such as gender studies etc. You could try approaching your seniors at your college for more information about these courses.

[cruciverbalist]

In Delhi University, MA English includes courses such as "Studies in American Literature" (Hawthorne, Melville, Walt Whitman, Emerson, Thoreau are some of the prominent ones) whereas the optional course on "Modern Indian Writing" includes VS Naipaul, Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie,Lakshmibai Tilak, Subramania Bharati, Girish Karnad, Mohammad Iqbal, Gandhi, Bankimchandra Chatterjee, Premchand etc.
The course on "Literature & Gender" covers the works of Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, DH Lawrence, Jeannette Winterson, Kate Chopin, Tagore, Imtiaz Dharker, Margaret Fuller, Freud, Engels. (This is not a comprehensive list though, only indicative.)
As for "Study of Language", it includes topics like language & communication, language change and variation, structuralism, phonology, semantics and syntax.

I hope this was helpful. :) Good luck!

[Shannanigan]

Eh, I'm required to take two semesters of American Literature for my BA, so I guess I'm kind of biased into wanting what we don't have here...and that would be Gender in Literature. Sure, we discuss it in class, but to have a class based on it? Now THAT sounds like fun to me...

but everyone is going to be interested in different things, of course. Do make sure that while taking into consideration all of the information and suggestions we've all given, that the person you look into most in choosing is yourself.

[Bastet]

[QUOTE=mono]
This could seem very, very interesting, in my opinion, exploring many of the gender roles in literature, which may also reflect the gender roles in historical and contemporary society. :nod:
QUOTE]

I definitely agree with mono, and I would go for gender

[Shakira]

Hey thanks to all for their suggestions. Even I was a bit confused between opting for "Gender in Literature" & "American Literature from the Beginning to 1900". Anyways thanks once again to all.

[fade]

I think the point is --which one you are interested in~

[Virgil]

Though I do not claim aesthetic seem an easy area of study, I absolutely fell in love with aesthetics, after taking a few classes for it. For anyone who does not know, aesthetics define the philosophical study of beauty and sublimity. Others may find the subject somewhat boring and immensely complex, but I, personally, loved it! ;)
For me I would have picked this too. Gender studies might be the safest bet, since it's rage on college campusus these days. Unless you want to be provacative and go against the conventional thinking. American Lit to 1900 is an interesting choice, with lots of books for resaerch material.

[Pendragon]

Hey, Shakira if you want the advice of an admittedly much lower educated, (only an AAS) person who has read extensively, go for the American Literature up to 1900. Many of my favorite authors are from this time period. ;) Find out that Poe wrote first person as a woman, for example. Read Twain's The Innocents Abroad in the unedited original. Explore Finley Peter Dunne, the newspaper columnist who embarrassed Teddy Roosevelt, and got away with it! in his Mr. Dooley columns. There are a lot of things about the authors of that period that are very interesting to learn. :nod:

[amanda_isabel]

I think the point is --which one you are interested in~

true. i can't really suggest because they all seem interesting... whichever is most appealing for you. try listening to what the wind has to say...