Dear Great Books Readers,
Welcome, Wright community! We are pleased to present the ninth edition of the Great Books Student Symposium, a journal comprised of student-written and student-edited essays about the Great Books that showcase new conversations concerning these timeless works. The Symposium is of great importance to the Wright community, as it displays the strength and enduring relevance of the humanities in academic study. Reading and writing about the Great Books require complex thought, argument, and the interpretation of nuanced ideas, all of which are demonstrated in these essays. Thank you to everyone whose extensive efforts have made this journal possible.
Although the Great Books are renowned for their ability to inspire complex thought and discourse regarding ideas that comment and sometimes challenge societal norms, there is a substantial flaw with the current catalogue: the dearth of female authors. The oppressive patriarchy of the past often has prohibited women’s ability to pursue an education, disallowing them the ability to spread their ideas through literature. The repression of these voices serves as a reminder of the importance of having female authors on the list. Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein (1818), stated, “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves,” an idea which speaks for all women who long for agency and representation in literature when all too often they have been considered merely damsels in distress, dependent on men to rescue them.
In light of the scarcity of works by female authors on the list, it is perhaps ironic that this issue of the Great Books Symposium Journal has been created entirely by women. The female student authors and editorial board members here present essays about either female characters or literary works written by women. Historically, many male authors have succeeded in creating complex female characters who try to assert their agency in an oppressive society while nurturing realistic motivations and desires. However, expanding the current catalogue of Great Books authors engages new readers and greatly improves the potential for diverse and intellectual conversation, particularly through the inclusion of those exceptional female authors who deserve the high praise of being Great Books authors. In recent years, the Wright College Great Books program has begun to address the need for more diverse representation on the Great Books list, including the addition of women authors such as Gloria Anzaldua, Aphra Behn, Octavia Butler, Kate Chopin, H. D. (Hilda Doolittle), Sor Juana, Nella Larsen, Doris Lessing, Audre Lorde, Margaret Mead, Toni Morrison, and Mary Wollstonecraft. It is exciting to see the progress toward a more inclusive catalogue of Great Books authors, as these diverse voices are necessary to depict the strength of women.
While it is an honor to contribute to the Great Books Symposium Journal, this edition did not come without its hardships. The collective struggle the pandemic brought to our community manifested in innumerable distractions from school, difficulties that have disrupted the past two years of submissions to the journal. We attempted to overcome these challenges by creating school and workspaces like those we enjoyed before the pandemic, and, through determination and hard work, the writers and editors present these essays, which we hope will reconnect our Great Books community.
In addition to recognizing the editors and contributors, we would like to give a tremendous and appreciative thank you to Professor Michael Petersen for his persistence and dedication, as he is the backbone that allows this academic journal to exist.
In closing, the ideas expressed through these texts define the human experience and each of our collective struggles. James Baldwin notes that the struggles we embody every day are not original: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” In creating relatable interpersonal conflicts, Great Books authors recontextualize our familiar troubles, encouraging readers to reflect on the circumstances that surround us. In this way, our differences allow us to sympathize with and accept each other, encouraging us to grow together in a more positive community.
Love and understanding triumphs all,
Gretta Komperda
Spring 2022-2023 Editor-in-Chief, Great Books Symposium Journal