Quarter 3 Post 6

In the last fifty pages of this book, Cliff returned home from his cross-country road trip; a solid conclusion to a somewhat wandering book. He continues his extended stay in Montana for a few more chapters, but finally heads back to Michigan, where he moves on to his grandfather's old property to rebuild the house that had been burnt down. Cliff can't return to his old farmhouse, as it was sold after he left, in the divorce proceedings. When he gets to Michigan, though, Cliff and Vivian visit the old farm one last time. Cliff says, "We drove over to our old farm and I wept like a baby stung by a bee. My attached shed was gone and the barn was painted bright red. The orchard had been bulldozed and seeded and surrounded by white board fences a la Kentucky" (242). Cliff is clearly torn up about seeing his home of many years be torn down. The simile relating him to a small child who has been hurt also enhances the sad and vulnerable image of him. As sad as it is, though, this is a necessary and significant event in his life because it represents his ended relationship with wife, and is symbolic of putting the past behind himself. I also found this quote interesting because it shows a more conventional side of Cliff. Throughout the trip he's presented himself as a high-minded and fairly un-materialistic person. But now through his attachment to the farm one can see that Cliff is as sentimental as any other person and that even though he left home for quite a while, he still has memories and emotions invested in his old house.

I was quite relieved to find out that Cliff didn't get back together with his ex-wife. It had been hinted at a few times, but in the end they settled at a strong friendship. If they had remarried the plotline would've been unbearably cliche - divorce, roadtrip to sort out feelings, realize you're still in love. Luckily this did not happen. The ending was quite satisfactory, actually, which was nice since I was pretty bored by the end of this book. The last few lines are alright. They read, "This won't be a bad life I thought happily. What there is left of it is undetermined but I'll do fine" (254). While it's not an incredibly profound way to end things, it wraps things up nicely by creating contrast with the rest of the book. Through most of the story, Cliff does not have peace of mind and instead contemplates and debates things all the time in his head. He worries about the past and the present and the future. To see him finally accept things the way they are gives the story closure. It's also a little ironic because the reason he went on his trip was to find this peace of mind, and yet he didn't achieve it until returning home.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 5

In the last few chapters, Cliff has stayed in Montana. I couldn't really tell you why, because this book is getting harder and harder to follow. It may have been a poor choice for a quarter-long project, because it seems to be the type of book you have to read in a day or two. Cliff spends so much time in his head, contemplating things, that if you put the book down and come back a few days later, you may have forgotten what is actually going on, action-wise. But this is not to say that I don't like the book. I do. Mostly. Anyhow, on to analysis. One thing I noticed is that Cliff is becoming increasingly self-aware. Not only does he mull over things in the past, but he's started to make observations about himself in the present, which is actually quite difficult to do. One time when you can see this is when Cliff is in a small diner after having gone fishing. He thinks to himself, "I wasn't in first-rate mental shape when I had left Michigan, and perhaps for some time afterward. The fishing had opened a window in my mind's room and the new fresh air and light had made my state of mind on my departure grim indeed" (195). Although it is perhaps not a happy observation, Cliff still developed as a person by participating in some self-reflection.

While I was reading, I began to wonder why the book is titled The English Major. At first, my reaction was that it was a little random, as being an English major was only a small part of Cliff's personality and character make-up. After a while, though, it occurred to me just how much having majored in English has impacted Cliff's life. For one thing, it may have caused distance between him and his wife, because she doesn't understand his passion for literature. Also, thoughts about famous writers such as Lord Byron or Thoreau are quite common in his daily musings. It has also given him a bit of wisdom, as shown when he is thinking about his project of renaming state birds. Cliff has become frustrated that he isn't getting very far on this project, and starts to blame all the distractions in his life. He says, "As an English major I was familiar with the stories of dozens of writers trying to get their work done amid the multifarious diversions of the world and the hurdles of their own vices" (189). Obviously, the title is very appropriate because having majored in English has completely shaped Cliff's personality and way of life.


Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.

Quarter 3 Post 4

Seeing as the section I just read was kind of dull, I've decided instead to write about an interesting character I haven't yet mentioned. His name is AD. Well, kind of. For the first few chapters, Cliff referred to him as his 'alcoholic doctor friend' and thus he eventually turned into AD for short. I guess we never really learn his name (or maybe it's at the beginning and I just forgot, but I don't think so). This is a puzzling character because so far he hasn't actually appeared in the book, not counting a few short phone calls to him from Cliff. Instead, we learn about him by all the times Cliff talks about him and his strange wisdom. AD has a sort of pessimistic view on things, but doesn't seem to be an unhappy person. Also, the stories about him often include women and alcohol. AD's wisdom showed up once in the last section I read, when Cliff was discussing how his grandfather died penniless and with liver cancer. Cliff said, "My friend AD told me that it was not infrequent to see the aged devour their net worth in a forlorn attempt to stay alive" (176). As AD is a doctor, this opinion must be based on experience. At the same time, though, it's quite depressing and one has to wonder how this man who decided to help others for a living ended up being a pessimistic alcoholic.

Arizona, New Mexico and Utah were the only 3 states Cliff traveled through in the last 40 or so pages. In all honesty, it wasn't that memorable and I frequently got bored trying to read it. I do like this book quite a bit, but it's also hard to relate to seeing as I'm not a 60 year old man. Also, it seems like the plot is just dragging on. Cliff is still trying to avoid contact with Marybelle, his son Robert, and ex wife Vivian, continues to sleep in mediocre motels, and contemplate the same problems over and over while slowly making his way through the south-west. I guess this book is just different than what I'm used to because the rising action and climax aren't very visible. They aren't big action scenes or huge and obvious turning points. Although I doubt I've reached it, the plot climax is probably just going to be some revelation by Cliff or a reunion with his wife. In this way, this book is both a little bit dull but also just a new genre for me.

Harrison, Jim. The English Major. New York: Grove Press, 2008.