I got a C on an essay test. That kind of shit doesn't happen to me. It was about Greece. Something about how the wars were triumphant and tragic at the same time, and how they held the keys to Greece's decline and legacy. The teacher said it was about more than regurgitating text information.
Same here. Even if teachers disagreed with my interpretation, I never made less than a B because of writing quality, effort, ect...
When I got a C in an essay on Greek Mythology I was kind of dumbfounded. I don't even remember their principle objection, but I felt like I got shafted on the grade regardless. I don't turn in thoughtless work.
Likewise, when I got a C on an essay about the
Merchant of Venice I was pissed too. Again, I didn't get the grade because of how poorly I wrote, I got the grade because they objected to my interpretation. Basically the thinking goes Shakespeare was centuries ahead of his time in making this social commentary about how jews were treated.
My take was that Shakespeare was just as much a racist as he was making a point about inequality between Jews and Gentiles. The Merchant in MoV is a horrible person, that embodies exactly the kinds of stereotypes that were common about Jews. He's not a sensitive, misunderstood soul, he's an asshole and a miser. While his treatment by "the world" is unfair and extreme, he still is a loathsome caricature that I believe Shakespeare wrote to be unsympathetic, channeling all the racism of his period.
That now, centuries later, people just go "oh it's just a masterful satire" I think is toeing the line of multiculturalism and using Shakespeare as its ancient champion. As though it's impossible for someone to be articulate, thoughtful, wise and still be a racist or hold racist opinions.
And they gave me a C for that. Or more correctly, the TA gave me a C and the teacher refused to even consider disagreeing with them. I'm normally not one to cry foul at a political bent in education, but this was one where I was like "Ok, fine, ignore what I wrote and keep preaching your snuggly little version of Shakespeare."
I think that was the point at which I realized college is not an exercise in free-thinking. If it is, its an exception rather than the rule. College is largely about toeing the line of your education and being able to demonstrate free thinking
when asked to.