The Loss of the Creature by Walker Percy - Book Report/Review Example

English Walker Percys, "The Loss of the Creature" Walker Percy’s ‘The Loss of the Creature’, addresses the concept of lost objective reality, which he refers to as ‘the Creature’, to the education systems. The education system in the modern society, with its set standards, bars students from pursuing innovation, creativity, and experience in their own capacities. Instead, the scholars have to abide by the education system’s requirements with the hope of enjoying the outcome of the so said experience. According to Percy, the instructor’s role should be to facilitate the student’s appreciation of him or herself as a sovereign being as opposed to an experienced consumer (47). The result of such an education system is detrimental as the students forget the experience as soon as they are awarder ‘the prizes’ (523) of the subjection. Other authors, who concede that the educational system in the contemporary setting is lacking in every perspective, back Percy’s sentiments. It deprives the scholars of their sovereignty and their ability to discover the true essence behind learning. Percy asserts that the only sure way for a scholar to have a true experience in education is by abolishing the prejudices and prior conceptualization that the student has about the ‘package’ (519). Every student, especially in college, should adopt Percy’s ideas entirely. In the modern day colleges, the urge to garner educational experience bounds students. This makes them wrap up in a manner similar to mummies, with an effect of scoring any knowledge discovery opportunities that bypass them. As Percy affirms, they are ultimate ‘consumers of experience’ (63). The aim of their participation in college by taking up classes, writing papers and taking tests is to for mere college pursuing and the subsequent fruits of the college experience as opposed to the knowledge pursuit, ‘the creature’ (47) – as Percy depicts it. In other words, when a scholar attends a college it is not “the sovereign discovery of the thing before him; it is rather the measuring up, of the thing to the criterion of the preformed symbolic complex” (469). Intrinsically, the scholars ‘sovereignty’ is compromised, as he is not able to discover by will but rather by system’s subjection. In a college literature class, through experience, students are offered ‘prepackaged’ texts that guide them in the course of learning. Despite the lecturer’s design of the lesson in a manner that requires the scholars to discover for themselves, with the help of the lecturer, the texts presented to the students serve as ‘packaged’ experience. This further hinders the possibility of discovering the ‘creature’. In this context, Percy proposes that the lecturer should take an unusual approach, for instance, by teaching literature students’ biology and the other way round. He refers to this approach as ‘stratagems’ (515) that are calculated at helping the scholars ‘access’ the real knowledge discovery and experience. Percy presents mechanisms of upholding the students ‘sovereignty’ through a hypothetical reference to a case study of an islander and college students who both explore a dogfish. The student, according to Percy, explored and learned about the dogfish’s anatomy, not because he was passionate with finding out, but because the college needed him to possess such a scientific knowledge. On the other hand, the islander explored the dogfish out of curiosity and passion to know. As much as the islander just grasped little knowledge about the dogfish, the quality therein will ensure he retains the knowledge for a long period. Contrary to expectations, the student will forget the lessons and experience right after the test thereof is completed. In this perspective, Percy proposes that students should take up college courses that they are passionate about and willing to devote their time into learning. This will impound long lasting knowledge and discoveries to a college student, which will be helpful in the subsequent career. It is much wise for a student to learn a little, as the islander did, rather than learning loads that are lost almost instantly. The concept of ‘problem-posing’ as proposed by Freire borrows majorly from Percy’s proposal. While Percy suggests passion and curiosity to guide the college students in decision making pertaining to courses and learning, Freire endorses these sentiments by suggesting that "people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves" (Freire 224). He asserts that students should be conscious of their own consciousness by being objective in learning rather than ‘consumers’. In classrooms, the students should uphold the ‘No stupid question’ rule by comfortably engaging the teacher in discussion through question asking. Merging Percy’s thinking with that of Freire to the perceptions of students will assure an outside the box thinking and critically thinking future generation. However, Percy warns of the rising contravention experienced by educational reforms in an attempt to eliminate the gaps in the system and the poor perception of students in hindering the application of the remedies by students. Identical to the couple that lacks authenticity by engaging an ethnologist whom they required “not to share their experience, but to certify their experience as genuine" (53), the students cram concepts for the purpose of exams and tests, after which they are applauded by lecturers for their achievement. This trend and the students comfort with it will lead to a non-reliable generation of graduates. The teachers and scholars are tied in their comfort zone instead of breaking out and exploring beneficial opportunities. Paulo Freire seconds Percy’s opinion by analyzing the educational system that, according to him, is an epitome a dehumanizing experience. Freire alludes to the students as ‘receptacles’ (216), which is anonymous to Percy’s ‘consumers of experience’ (63) allusion. For Freire, the instructors are comfortable with this kind of education system that only requires them to adhere to the educational standards set for them to get promotions and salary increments at the expense of the students. The obscured reasoning behind this despicable pursuance is that the students come out as easy to control as they are ‘oppressed’ (Freire 218) by the prevailing educational system. As a result, teacher’s revolt any attempts to make right the educational system. Freire’s sentiments echo on Percy’s propositions on the damaging educational system as pertaining to the students’ sovereignty and knowledge experience. The teacher, ‘expert’, ought not to have authority over the ‘consumer’, student. Seminars are necessary to enlighten the students in their early years in college on the vitality of choosing courses they are passionate about and dropping all the prior perceptions they possess pertaining to the courses (Plank 68). Percy condemns ‘consumers’ who do something ‘not out of generosity, but out of a search of affirmation that they have something genuine, that they have attained “It.” (512). Further, the seminars should insist to students that relying on prior perceptions without living the experience in person leads to “a single ‘consumer’ not receiving value P, but a millionth part of value P” (469). With this clarity presented to the college students, rational decisions are anticipated. The education system, which Percy would call a ‘symbolic complexity (512)’, should enable the ‘consumer’ to enjoy the beauty of the ‘Creature’, world. Conceding with Freire’s sentiments, Percy’s proposal stretches beyond the courses choosing to the classroom setting. Percy maintains that students should not just listen to the lecturer believing every statement he makes. They should instead be free to lay off their doubts by asking questions. Discussions should be conducted with the involvement of the ‘expert’ and other ‘consumers’ since there is every opportunity for knowledge building through extraction of noble ideas from the teacher to the student and vice versa. Just as Freire suggested, Percy gives this thoughts using a sonnet that is read by a student and an enthusiast. The student bears just a shallow concept about ‘package’ compared to the enthusiastic that knew nothing about it initially but possess substantial information about it. The ‘consumers’ can learn much, just like the enthusiastic, out of the will to know. By willingly engaging in discussions, they stand to learn more in the area of concern with a long lasting grasp of the concepts. In conclusion, the students ought to acknowledge how much experience they lose in an attempt to experience that experience. The education system bars the student from acquiring the real experience and instead presents a ‘package’ for the student. Percy proposes that students should take courses that they are enthusiastic in so that they are guided by the spirit of ‘wanting to do’ and not ‘having to do’. The same should be extended to classroom settings in the discussions that involve even the ‘expert’, who can also learn from the ‘consumers’. Freire endorses these sentiments by proposing that the students should be objective in learning and not just trusting the ‘expert’ in everything he teaches. Further, the ‘no stupid question’ rule should be obviated from the learning setting to allow for knowledge building and assertion of doubts. Integration of these concepts to the students’ decision-making, and that of lectures, will enable overcome the repugnant effects of the education system. It will allow the students to be creative and think critically while gearing up to the life after college. Works Cited Freire, Paulo. "The "Banking" Concept of Education." Bartholomae, David, Anthony Petrosky and Stacey Waite. Ways of Reading An Anthology for Writers. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014. Percy, Walker. "The Loss of the Creature." Bartholomae and Petrosky. 423-436. Ways of Reading. Third Ed. New York: Bedford, 1995. Plank, Kathryn. Team Teaching: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy. Sterling, VA: Stylus Pub, 2011. Print. Read More