Mark Edmundson The Ideal English Major Analysis

Mark Edmundson states in his writing “The Ideal English Major” that becoming an English major is “pursuing the most important subject of all--being a human being” (1). Edmundson describes English majors as readers who are born again and again through reading. According to Edmundson being an English major makes you more alive by allowing you to see the world as “bigger, sweeter, more tragic and intense-- more alive with meaning than you had thought” (4). Edmundson attempts to persuade us by listing the benefits of being an English major, comparing and contrasting English majors versus other careers and by name dropping historical figures in literature. Edmundson’s essay is persuasive but also biased because he commits logical fallacies such …show more content…
In all probability he lives but once” (5). Edmundson in this statement is trying to strengthen his argument that English majors live more than once by living vicariously through characters in stories, but in all reality English majors live the same amount of times as every other human being. Though Edmundson most likely feels this statement strengthens his argument it really weakens it by being factually inaccurate. I disagree with his statement because though you may feel the emotions and see the story in your mind you are not actually living it as you read. In all reality reading a story is more of a dream while you are awake. Some people have more experiences than others but we only live one time. Though there are many great experiences in being an english major and in reading there are also many outside …show more content…
You don’t and can’t know the world” (8). There are many other ways to learn about yourself and about the world. Simple activities such as going for a walk or watching tv can help you learn more about yourself and about the world. Edmundson weakens his argument by presenting it as if there are only two options either you're an English major and you know yourself and the world or you're not and you don’t when there are more options out there. Mark Edmundson makes many good points as to why everyone should be an English major in his essay the “The Ideal English Major”. However I do not agree with all of his statements and Edmundson weakens many of his arguments by using logical fallacies such as ad hominem attacks, hasty generalizations and either or arguments. These logical fallacies make it easier to argue against and disagree with Edmundson’s