Wednesday was all about classes, taking a much-needed nap, and having a bit of fun later on, since Wednesday night is my Friday night (4 day weekends!).
I had my British Women's Novelists class in the morning, of which we were supposed to read Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey' for. I did NOT like the book. At all. I'm a 20-year-old girl—aren't I supposed to completely adore Jane Austen? The main character, Catherine, or 'heroine' (which she is referred to as in the opening sentence), was pathetic and naive and average. I suppose her heroine-status is due to the fact that she came out of being 'poor' and possibly less than average and was able to marry into money. Pathetic. I understand that Austen's novels are probably a good reflection of the time period in which they were written but I don't understand the extreme popularity of them today. I can't even say that 'Northanger Abbey' is a love story. Austen is well-written and is extremely clever in her presentation of situations and I do enjoy her attention to detail regarding social observations and situations, so I do have to give her some credit, but I am disappointed in my huge dislike for the novel. I read Pride & Prejudice when I was 14 years old and I liked it then, and of course I loved the film with Kiera Knightly in it, and I have enjoyed watching Austen films on PBS on Sundays, for sure. But in the last couple of years I can't even watch the most recent P&P; I find it incredibly depressing.
Afterwards, I had Shakespeare. The professor is ridiculously knowledgeable (as professors often are) and I really enjoy his class so far. Especially this time since I sat closer to him and could hear and understand him better! I really have to pay attention and this time he said that he hoped we could understand him because he knows that he has a tendency to speak in an 'old' English (NOT Old English obviously, just in a more... typical older English gent way) where the speech is more heavily in the British accent and also isn't punctuated or as clear as American English. He said that American teachers usually speak very clearly and enunciate and emphasize things more, which is definitely true.
For class on Wednesday, we read Romeo & Juliet which I read for the first time when I was 14 years old. I really admire Shakespeare's writing—really, really admire it. Do you know how hard it is to successfully write in iambic pentameter??? Well, at least to me, it's pretty hard!!! But now to me, Romeo and Juliet are so silly! Why is it a great love story? Now, instead of seeing it as play full of passionate characters, I see it being full of impulsive and foolish characters!
Anyway.
Later, I went to a bar called Trafalgar (again) with a bigger group of people this time. It was great fun and this time I had strawberry beer which is DeLiCiOuS.
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