Meet The Parents Who Wont Let Their Children Study Literature Analysis

Meet the Parents Who Won’t Let Their Children Study Literature In Steven Pearlstein’s article, he states an argument that parents are not letting their children study literature. To begin how the article came about, Steven Pearlstein gives an assignment for his students to read an 800 page biography of Andrew Carnegie, thinking that the students would more than likely not read it. To his surprise more than half of his students actually did the assignment and enjoyed it and thanked him for “giving them the chance to read a popular work of history” (Pearlstein, Par.1). Steve Pearlstein couldn’t figure out what was going on so therefore, he goes to ask how many students are history majors and come to find out all but one are not history majors.

One thing that stresses all students most of all is the student debt, with tuition stretching to over-paying is a headache that will take an effect on many choices in the degree field. Leading to the stress of having to choose a degree that will allow students to achieve a livable adulthood. With Literature arts degree having the bad rape of being the lowest pay and demand for degrees; they tend to get pushed to the side for bigger and higher paying degrees. Not only are parents seeing the problem of the literature art degrees but the students are starting to see the problem as well. Steve Pearlstein stresses the problems of students needing to get back in the field of Literature Arts and being able to focus on the political and lifestyle achievement that are available as parents are stressing to their kids that they need to find a better degree. Therefore, students are fighting back and forth trying to do what they want to seek in life as a dream career and pleasing their parents and doing what is best for their future adulthood. Not all students are doing so but many are double majoring, “as high as 40 percent of students at some elite schools – is that students want one major to satisfy mom and dad and another to satisfy their own interests” (Pearlstein,

Jay Cobbs would then go onto criticize the article by saying “nobody is blocking anyone from studying literature. The article mentions plenty of double majors, who are studying both subject that interested them and one for practical purposes” (Cobb, Par.2). He would also go on to say that students don’t need to or have to do coursework in literature when all they have to is just read. Which actually brings a good point up that not everyone needs a degree in