my interview with Professor B.

It goes without saying that a person’s writing style can determine his/her ability to have influence and impact as an English student. For this reason, I directed my interview with Professor B. more toward the importance of mechanics and style in relation to success in the literary field. Professor B. began by stating his belief that “structure is taught too rigorously in the sense that it imperils students, making them focus more on correctness than content in writing.” Professor B. believes that an argument in any literary paper is comparable to a mathematical equation: rather than reiterating a single idea throughout, one should start with a single point and add more points to it until a new, complete conclusion is reached. Professor B. also stated that most students entering the college environment become so focused on the “rigidity of overall structure” that they neglect the value of sentence clarity. Without clarity, said Professor B., students tend to lose themselves in topics and try to compensate by using elevated language, resulting in arguments lacking substance. It is for this reason that Professor B. encourages his students to say things simply and concisely. He believes that the most admirable scholar is one who can say something extremely complicated in a very simple way – a skill which, to him, is the very key to success in the English field.

-Sara-