The inaugural ‘Words Matter’ lecture was delivered at YSJU by Dr Kaley Kramer on Monday 9th October 2017. Here, two third-year English Literature students add their thoughts to Dr Kramer’s address.
‘We Are Still Each Other’s Only Hope’: Words On and Off the Page
By Nicoletta Peddis and Jenna Houston
The opening sentence of Dr Kaley Kramer’s ‘Words Matter’ lecture – ‘We are living in dangerous times’ – was thought provoking. Often it is so easy to become focussed on the next essay due in, or the next shift at work, that we forget we are indeed living in dangerous times. The word ‘danger’ doesn’t necessarily provoke fear, but instead makes us aware of the implications of each and every action we take. Reflecting on this idea led us to consider the ways that studying literature is a controversial and therefore ‘dangerous’ but necessary process. The study of literature encourages us to channel this controversy into something positive and transforms fear into hope. The idea that ‘we are living in dangerous times’ has influenced the way that we study books and perceive the world around us. Never have words mattered more than now.
Literature itself can be a catalyst for hope, drawing awareness to issues on and off the page. Nothing is more inclusive than literature; it is accessible to everyone and encourages open-mindedness and the sharing of ideas within and outside of academia. The role of our degree is important in pushing forward and leading the way to more progressive society. Studying books allows you into someone else’s headspace and thought processes, which inevitably develops empathy. This open-mindedness and inclusiveness is important for the rest of the world to take notice of: it seems daunting to think about how to compose each word, each sentence, into something that has enough weight to change someone’s mind, or to challenge the way that they view a particular topic. Without hope, it becomes easy to adopt a ‘what does it have to do with me?’ mindset and become complacent about important issues. The role of empathy (and the way it is inextricably linked with hope) helps to break individualistic thinking. Hope brings with it a sense of purpose and the desire to bring about a change.
After the lecture we reflected on how hope has played a role in our own lives, and in particular, how it has had a role in our studies. We left with a better sense of our role as literature students, empowered by the lecture’s focus on the power of words, and inspired by a comment in the audience about the connection between hope and resilience. Resilience is transgressive; it is a force that drives positive changes in attitude. Words matter because through words we find the strength to describe the world around us and criticise what is wrong in it. The lecture reinforced our awareness of the power of literature, of the infinite power of meaningful words in opposition to the empty and fake words that are threatening to surround us. This is where our hope lies: in the strong belief that we must not give up our fight and that our hope in the future can be shared, and might replace fear and hate. We go through each essay deadline, every presentation, even every seminar thinking ‘I hope I can say something that matters’. And the truth is that the hope we have now – the hope that we might say something that changes someone’s mind – is a power we underestimated until studying a literature degree. Words truly matter. And in a society where the dialogue between people is so often negative, they should be used to say something positive and make a change, no matter how small.