Frustrating....

I am currently enrolled in a course which focuses on the short stories of Margaret Atwood and Raymond Carver. It is a course designed to thoughtfully consider the meaning behind the stories, which I thought would be a great break from textbookey academia. I was wrong.

At least with a course based on theory and fact, there are right and wrong answers. Apparently, for the other students in the class, this is the case. My interpretations- despite the fact that others agree with me, and are congratulated on their efforts while I am told I need to dig deeper- are scrutinized and criticized to a point where I do not even feel like participating. There are only three students, and I have been the one singled out, which is very frustrating.

If the purpose is to study the material and conclude the meanings based on our own observations, which will be affected by our past experience and background, I do not understand why there is a definitive right answer. Well, only in my responses that seem to be the case. At one point I mentioned that I suppose everyone has their own opinions, to which I was told that really was not true, there was a right answer. Then, moments later, the students and myself learn that there are many different critiques with many different theories on the interpretation of these short stories. Needless to say, I scream internally.

Courses like this are difficult anyway, bringing me back to my days in high school. How are we to know for sure that the author meant anything more than what is printed on the page? How am I to enjoy a story when it takes me two hours to get through ten pages because I have now become neurotic about looking up every reference, to find a clue about the correct interpretation? Also, and I am not being disrespectful, but Carver was an alcoholic, who admittedly spent much of his time drunk. We all babble incessantly when we are drunk, and more times than not, without much thought or purpose. Of course I can not say that in class.... Although I did.