Wow, I can't believe we are already at seven weeks! It seems like we just began the course. I was very excited for this course, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. The readings, although sometimes a bit depressing, vividly depicted human struggles and the importance of religion. I felt that each book carried with it a significant weight in terms of new insights, ideas, and expectations. I was grateful that we were able to delve into several books that were all very different in terms of plot, but they all seemed to tie together in the themes of acceptance, understanding, self-worth, and self-discovery. Religion can be a very touchy subject for many people; however, this class and the novels we read perfectly shed light on various views, ideas, and injustices without being preachy, demanding, or judgemental.
I wish that we could have more time, because unfortunately in seven weeks we can only brush the surface of religion and literature. However, I think this class was able to build a framework for me in terms of reading literature with a religious perspective. This is the first time that I read books searching for the religious connections, and I loved it. I felt that I learned so much and even achieved a deeper understanding of the novels through the religious analysis.
I think that we easily meet all course objectives and that the work was meaningful in terms of what was expected for the course. Christine, thank you for choosing interesting novels and facilitating fascinating conversations. Fellow classmates, thank you for your interesting and poignant insights -- I learned so much from all of you!!
