Anurima Deshpande

Statement of Purpose
Heard melodies are sweet; but those unheard are sweeter, these words from John Keats magnificent Ode on a Grecian Urn made me realize that poetry in particular, and literature, in general could have a deeper resonance than mere words. All of a sudden, poetry and literature were a lot less daunting and a lot more appealing this interest turned into an explorative journey through the myriad paths abundant in the world of literature. Growing up and comprehensive studies presented greater opportunities for the discovery of ideas, theories and perspectives that made studying language and literature so fulfilling and challenging. This led to the realization that literature is immeasurably influenced by its socio-historical-political context which in turn affects society in innumerable ways. While my love of literature remained constant, my focus shifted from the analysis of canonical works to mainstream avenues such as fiction, television and other forms of media. In my doctoral studies I would like to concentrate on these theories and how they apply to different fields such as literature, television and cinema.

While some works manage to straddle the line between being valued works of literature and being an essential part of popular culture, there is also a clear demarcation between them. Contemporary literary culture is built on works that are as relevant to pop culture as they are to traditional literature; it has never been an entity that can be studied in isolation and the proliferation of unconventional themes in accepted literary discourse is but a consequence of this all-inclusive attribute of literature. My primary area of focus is popular literature and the application of literary concepts to diverse media as well as socio-cultural phenomena; a minor area of interest is the paradoxical change and constancy that is found in literary themes through the centuries. I also intend to concentrate on the temporal relevance of literature; how and why drama written in the sixteenth century or poetry written in the eighteenth is still relevant, readable and popular in a time so far removed from that of its original creation.

I majored in English Language and Literature at the undergraduate level and my interest in this area developed primarily during this time I received a traditional grounding in a survey of

literature in English and a familiarity with established and novel critical theories and concepts. The decision to pursue a Masters degree was born out of two things: the desire to gain a deeper knowledge in the areas that interest me and to equip myself for a doctoral program in English Language and Literature.

During my Masters, I had the opportunity to further investigate the areas that interested me literary theory. I was familiar with most of the perspectives including Marxist, feminist, deconstructionist, and post-colonial theories. This program afforded me the chance to look beyond the surface of these theories and delve deeper into their genesis and development this mushroomed into an interest in anthropology, film studies and pop culture. The paucity of not only proper research, but also traditional acceptance for these fields in my native academic setting was instrumental in augmenting my aspiration to be among a new wave of students and scholars working towards widespread recognition of such subjects. I received First Class scores in my first year of Masters and submitted eight seminar papers in four subjects over two semesters all of which received scores of over 90% and were among the top three scores in my class. I presented seminars on The Antihero in Modern Literature, The Bible in English Literature, A Study of the Supernatural in Romanticism, among others, which served to enhance my aptitude for the study of different branches and theories through the ages.

While pursuing my Masters, I received a grant from the University Grants Commission for a

CPE (College with Potential for Excellence) project. The topic of this project was Universality of Archetypes in a Selection of Literature, Television and Films for Children, which I coauthored. We studied the ways in which archetypes transcend genres as well as boundaries of space, time and culture. This project was, for me, an encouraging foray into being able to combine seemingly disparate media into a project which aimed to find the cohesion and difference that exists in the structure and content of these media.

Reading literature by British, European and American authors or watching television and cinema that originated in these countries was never culturally dissonant for me principally due to the fact that such media has a very recognizable blueprint that is pertinent to everyone. The stories, the characters, their conflicts and triumphs seemed as germane to my life and times as those created

in the temporal and social context that I grew up in; the tenets of humanity are common, they transcend any boundary we might create. It is that universal human blueprint, this universality of theme and content that I wish to explore further through doctoral studies bringing in threads from other fields such as philosophy, political theory and culture studies. I wish to engage in further research in this field, concentrating primarily on the cultural and universal resonance of such works.

The program at Rice University encompasses a wide variety of specialties and subjects which will enable me to conduct comprehensive research in my chosen field. My research area will include concepts and research from several fields and I am confident that with the opportunities and faculty resources available I will be able to accomplish my research objectives. The emphasis that Rice lays on letting graduate students set the parameters of their curriculum and the significance given to original, publishable research are important factors in my decision to apply to this university. I would also relish the opportunity to participate in courses at other departments as well as the interdisciplinary workshops that are held at Rice. My research area is inherently interdisciplinary and these resources which will be available to me at Rice will make valuable contributions to my research. In a subject as far-reaching as literature, there is always the scope to learn more and know more. I believe that the broad range of specialties and guidance at this Ph. D program will augment my knowledge in the field and enable me to participate in the rich, intellectual life of the university and do worthwhile research in this field.

I believe that acquiring a Ph D in English Language and Literature will help me to not only develop a greater understanding of my area of interest but will also provide me with the experience and knowledge to back up a career in research with a thorough and rigorous academic base. It would also provide me with an exposure to different branches of knowledge which will challenge, question and validate my own research. I hope to spread my love and inclination for these mutually associated topics through research as well as teaching there is always a need and space for newer research in this field.