The world of knowledge is clearly understood to provide several kinds of miscellaneous things along with the process of its development, one of which is the power of literature. As everyone knows, literature becomes an inseparable element of the language root. No wonder if every language then grows with its own literature as a distinguishable identity from another language. As stated on the course reader book of “Introduction to Literature” written by William Kenney, English literature is mainly divided into three components which are prose, poetry, and drama (Introduction to Literature, 1966). Underlining the division of literature itself, prose is considered as the most difficult one. Thus, students of State University of Malang who are now taking “Introduction to Literature” feel reluctant to associate themselves with English prose. Indeed, the purpose of this essay is to highlight several causes of students’ reluctance in learning English prose, three of which are evident: the complex language use, exposure on literary analysis and lack of enjoyment.
Firstly, the infectious cause of students’ reluctance in learning English prose is actually due to the complexity of the language. The complex language use here contextually refers to the difficult form of language which is used to verbalize every single event in the story. Indeed, most of the prosaic words are usually characterized as having the complex language features since it appears to a common thing that the authors may use figurative languages, or ancient English words/phrases which form appealing dictions in certain sentences. In fictions, such as prose, the term figurative language is defined as a kind of language which departs from the language employed in the traditional, literal ways of describing persons or objects. Using figurative languages is actually making imaginative descriptions towards several events of the story in fresh ways. Somehow, English prose veils particular words or phrases by either using figurative or literal languages. Thus, to catch what is actually being conveyed by the author, students are dragged to make a clear distinction on how a sentence links to the literal meaning or is figuratively stated. In other words, a literal image involves no necessary change or extension in the meaning of the words. Meanwhile, an image is figurative when it must be understood in some sense other than the literal. For example, in William Faulkner’s short story “Dry September”, there are lots of images of dryness. For the most part, the individual images are perfectly literal. It has not rained for a long time and the land is parched and dry. Yet, by their frequent recurrence, the images take on a suggestive power, arousing associations with barrenness, and frustration, all of which are relevant to the story’s meaning. However, in Stephen Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage, figurative imagery is likely to be significant. Men are frequently compared to brute animals. The recurrence of this kind of comparison suggests skepticism. It seems to be implied that a man is essentially an animal, driven blindly, like other animals. Referring to those examples, English prose obviously requires not only the surface meaning but also the mixture of literal and figurative speeches. Accordingly, students find themselves uncovered with these kinds of language features in English literature. Hence, when they learn English prose, they are then either concretely or abstractly exposed to picture several sort of images in such a way. No wonder if a majority of students set their mind up with a stigmatic view in which English prose complexly deal with a matter of complication in the use of language form. Even worse, they do not feel comfortable every time they learn English prose. A feeling of reluctance somehow contemplates swiftly on their soul which subsequently violates the way they learn English prose. In short, the complexity of language in English prose draws on somewhat students’ feeling towards the literary environment through the learning process.
Secondly, the significant cause of students’ reluctance in learning English prose constitutes with the exposures of literary analysis. We presume that the word ‘analyze’ will immediately evoke hostile responses in many students. According to Longman dictionary, to analyze means to examine something or to tear things into pieces. However, analysis itself is not quite tearing things into pieces. To analyze a literary work is to identify the separate parts that make it up. Furthermore, it is also to determine the relationship among the parts and to discover the relation of the parts to the whole. In some analyses do seem to leave the work torn to pieces, figuratively speaking, this means simply that they are not complete analyses. The end of the analysis is always dealing with the understanding of the literary work as a unified and complex whole. In addition, analysis must be not only properly understood but also rightly undertaken. Analysis then can often be drudgery. Lots of elements of prose are required to be examined critically by the students. Some of these questions might be brought up by the students when they are exposed to analyze some literary works from the teachers. The questions include ‘Why must we always analyze everything? Why can’t we just enjoy what we read?’ Seemingly, it is a fair question that comes up through the students’ mind. To illustrate this point, let us show you some of the examples in analyzing the story which makes students fed up. In Introduction to Literature class, students are assigned to read Desiree’s Baby written by Kate Chopin. They need to give responses for some critical questions related to the story. In other words, they are actually analyzing the elements of that kind of prosaic work, such as the plot, setting, characters, theme, etc. These kinds of literary activities take lots of time for the students to deal with. Indeed, they sometimes feel terribly bored since they need to have deep interpretations to analyze it. As the result, they do not work maximally in tearing up the content of the prose. Even worse, some are just copying their classmates’ work because they unwillingly read the story. Briefly speaking, the exposures in literary analysis affect the students’ feeling on how they comprehend themselves in learning English prose.
Thirdly, the remarkable cause of students’ reluctance in learning English prose is interrelated with the lack of enjoyment that students have. Philosophers and psychologists have created a large body of literature relating to the enjoyment, but definitions of ‘enjoyment’ vary. In philosophy, Perry (1967) argues that ‘enjoyment’ is
non-evaluative, non-cognitive pro-attitude toward some actual object for what it is in itself, which object is a present doing, undergoing, or experiencing on the part of the subject or is something which is intimately connected with a present doing, undergoing, or experience on his part. To be enjoying a thing or to be deriving enjoyment from it is to have such a pro-attitude toward it. To enjoy or to derive enjoyment from a thing in a dispositional sense is to have a tendency to have this attitude toward it (p. 214).
In addition, the dictionary defines the term ‘enjoyment’ as the condition of enjoying anything; pleasure or satisfaction, as in the possession or occupancy of anything; possession and use; as, the enjoyment of an estate (1913 Webster). Generally, the enjoyment of literature, including prose is meant to be a feeling of great amusement to be able to learn literature in a relaxed atmosphere. Referring to the history of literature, it is actually born with a sense of pleasure for people to associate with. However, a number of people, including students have come up with a confronted view towards literature itself. Even worse, they learn literature, particularly English prose because they are actually supposed to learn. Let us point out the case aroused in Introduction to Literature class in State University of Malang. Most of the students who learn Introduction to Literature course have the willingness to read stories from the textbook because they are going to face an examination. Not only that, they read the literary texts, such as English prose, when they are assigned to finish some tasks and make the report of that. A study conducted by Crookes and Schmidt demonstrates that enjoyment in learning process relates to the students’ motivation. Further, the students’ motivation influences how their interest and enthusiasm are build up throughout the process of learning (Crookes and Schmidt, 1991). Consequently, the lack of enjoyment in learning English prose does a matter in making students reluctant to read prosaic works in literature.
In summary, literature in fact does not seem to give significant roles for the students. In the process of learning most of the students find themselves difficult in coping with English Literature especially English prose. Even though English prose is created as a matter of enjoyments in reading, a number of students still encounter troubles on how they effectively understand it. As a result, they seem to be reluctant to discover the content of prosaic works. The major causes of this matter which become the catalyst of students’ reluctance in learning English prose are the complex language use, exposure on literary analysis and lack of enjoyment. As a recommendation, to make the students enjoy learning English prose, the teachers need to select the literary texts, including prosaic works which are fascinating and not hard to analyze. We propose a story written by Hans Christian Anderson entitled with ‘The Emperor New Clothes’ to be used in the process of learning English prose.
Sources:
Cline, Jay, Ken Williams, Dan Donlan. 1969. Spectrum: Literature and Composition 2. Massachusetts:
Ginn and Company.
Kenney, William. 1966. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press.
Sisko, Yvonne Collioud. 2006. Looking at Literature. New York: Longman.
Written by
Muh. Khoirul Anwar
Isna Rakhmawati
No comments:
Post a Comment