Critique for my SOP?

[lenalenabobena]

Honestly, I need all the help I can get because I have no idea how to go about writing a statement of purpose... but here is my first attempt! Please, tear it to shreds :]

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During my senior year of high school, while in my Advanced Placement Literature class, my professor asserted that anything could be fiction, but only original works of great minds could be literature. Absorbing his words, I found myself praising the ingenuity of Shakespeare and Chopin while scorning the escapist words of Rowling and King. It was not until my junior year at NAME OF UNIVERSITY that Professor BLAH succeeded in changing my views of literature during a seminar entitled INSERT NAME HERE by deconstructing the word "text.” She argued that the dictionary definition of “text” was restricting to media such as artwork or even tattoos, and thus the class sought out to re-define the meaning of “text.” In a Saussurian fashion, the course culminated in the realization that a valid common definition could not be coined because semantics varied with the individual. I was immediately enchanted by the idea that definitions were superficial and therefore value was attributed based off personal bias. Professor BLAH's course coerced me to think about literature in a progressively different way; I began to ponder the oversight of my previous expectations, with which I, until then, had viewed literature. I realized that my definition of “literature” was as vague as the dictionary definition of “text,” since I associated the word with connotations of merit and originality.

Seeking ways to distance myself from this superficial view of writing, I began to examine other fields in relation to literature, including history, language, and film. This fusion of subjects ultimately led to my current work on my honors thesis, "INSERT NAME HERE." The thesis poses a comparison between J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel series and Peter Jackson’s film trilogy in regards to characterization, language usage, and thematic elements in order to show that through the film adaptation process a new entity is created that must be judged on its own rather than as a translation of an original whole. Through this project, I hope to gain a better understanding of thematic, linguistic, and cultural literary theories as well as the interactions of literature with other media.

As an undergraduate, my studies have concentrated mostly on feminist criticism, medieval literature, and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Through a doctoral program, I plan to further explore the areas most interesting to me as an undergraduate by integrating the literary analysis of twentieth century British literature and medieval romance literature with the study of linguistics and critical theory. I also seek to strengthen my knowledge of the French language and to learn Old and Middle English, which will allow me to better analyze and understand the themes and linguistics of medieval literature. As a hopeful scholar of Tolkien and medieval literature, I am drawn to the NAME OF UNIVERSITY English Department’s Old and Middle English program. I believe the NAME OF UNIVERSITY English Department’s masters program would allow me thrive academically since my interest in medieval literature complements that of the department, primarily the research interests of Professor BLANK and Professor NAME as my interests include the poetry of Chaucer as well as manuscript studies. After receiving a doctoral degree, I would like to devote myself as a researcher and professor at the college level in an English Literature department. The NAME OF UNIVERSITY’s Graduate Teaching Associates program can uniquely help me towards my goal of becoming a professor by providing interactive experience combined with unparalleled academics.

[Liesje]

i don't have time to go at it thoroughly, and i don't have a good sense of what's expected in SoPs, and Master's SoPs in particular, but some thoughts:

you begin by talking about high school and don't mention your undergrad til the third paragraph; high school should get no more than a passing mention at the very most. the first paragraph has some issues. it isn't very nuanced, which is fine of course in a high school class, but the notion that "definitions were superficial and therefore value was attributed off personal bias" is a surfacey reading of saussure/derrida. you need to demonstrate that you have a more complex understanding now. the point is that stable meaning would depend on a distinction between text and context or non-text that can't be definitively drawn, not simply that everyone has their own definitions. that quote is also in the passive, and the wording needs work - attributed through or via personal bias, not off. finally, you are applying to medieval departments - many medievalists (but not all) do not want to hear about deconstruction.

there's a lot of passive throughout, and the scope is really really broad, for example: "I plan to further explore the areas most interesting to me as an undergraduate by integrating the literary analysis of twentieth century British literature and medieval romance literature with the study of linguistics and critical theory."

anyway i would focus on articulating one or two ideas thoroughly rather than outlining 2 lifetimes of future study. but most importantly 1) don't get discouraged 2) ignore me and find someone who understands the expectations of MA programs and have them tell you what the SoP needs to accomplish specifically.