Not only do I feel like so much of this class taught me about the way these issues that are supposedly isolated to politics are anything but that, I feel like I’ve learned so much more about myself and how to interact with a society focused on so little.

Literature when it comes to the environment, because it expands to both the social-emotional and literal definition people recognize, is such a zoomed out view of what goes on. We’re such a small part of such an incredibly large world, with so many actions that people can do to improve and upkeep that.

I love learning that humanity needs to focus less on themselves; it’s such a basic thing to consider, to remember to be selfless as people who exist in a world full of creatures we don’t know or understand, but it’s so forgotten. Remembering that there’s entire beings that have their own lives, their own issues and surroundings and a million other things we’d never think of is something so vital to becoming more well-rounded people. On top of it, it reminds us how many things go on socially, how many interpretations of simple things come about because of the way we all recognize the world, and I loved developing a better empathetic understanding.

The environment and its vitality to us is so incredible to learn; it feels like finally putting such a collective look at everything around us and everything I’ve ever known. I am so grateful that I took the class, and grateful to learn so much from Professor Pressman and everyone that shared their own ideas about our readings. It was genuinely an incredible class and experience, that I took away really valuable skills with analysis and understanding of so much more than just literature from. 🙂