Madeline Bryce / Daily Nexus
In what is being called a “masterclass in imaginative scholarship,” a UC Santa Barbara student has turned in a literary analysis essay without opening a single assigned book. The essay, supposedly exploring the themes, motifs and character development central to the story, is based entirely on the student’s memory and interpretation of the class.
Avery Nelson, a third-year English major, drew on her memory, gut feelings and vague cultural impressions to write her essay, which made arguments regarding identity, power and human nature.
“I just thought, with all the ‘interpretations’ we’ve been seeing in pop culture, namely the new “Wuthering Heights” adaptation, why can’t I do that in my classes as well?” asked Nelson.
Nelson claims that she wasn’t trying to be revolutionary, she merely meant to stay true to herself and her limited schedule.
“If I’m being honest, I just did it because I’m so busy I don’t have enough time to actually read anything. I’ve been told I’m a good judge of character so I figured I could apply that to the books. Judging them by their covers or whatever,” said Nelson.
Her peers have celebrated this move, but her professor was not as pleased. Nelson has expressed disgust over her failing grade, claiming that her professor is unfairly punishing her and isn’t willing to “open their mind and actually understand her argument.”
In response to the growing movement surrounding “interpretive essays,” the UCSB English department released an official statement reminding students that “interpretation generally follows reading.” This has been faced with backlash, with students and faculty citing outdated ideology.
Board-certified psychologist and self-professed “Woke Warrior” Shelsie Shell gave her opinion on the controversy surrounding Nelson’s academic decision and the subsequent division between the student body and faculty.
“Discrimination against students in school because they used their perception and vibes-based interpretation, skills that all of us have and should be able to use, is like discriminating against funny people and saying all of the friends they’ve made are fake,” said Shell.
This has opened the doors to larger debates about what it even means to write an essay and whether or not interpretations can be considered accurate.
“We live in a post-textual society,” Shell elaborated. “If someone feels the themes of power imbalance without directly encountering them in print, who are we to invalidate their lived experience?”
When asked if Nelson had read the syllabus and purposefully ignored where it mentioned that the assigned readings were mandatory, Nelson responded with the following: “I prefer experiencing the syllabus emotionally rather than literally.”
Serrano Ham’s ability to interpret books is based solely on vibes inspired ChatGPT’s summary function.
