Personal Statement - English Literature 14

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I know I will enjoy and benefit greatly from studying English Literature at degree level both because of the breadth and flexibility of the course, and the range of time periods and cultures represented. Although I enjoyed my A-level course in English Literature, I am looking forward to covering a broader range of texts, being able to choose modules of the course that reflect my own areas of interest, and improving my ability to read critically.

The text I most enjoyed from my A-level studies was the Wife of Bath’s prologue and tale from Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’. The complex characterisation of its protagonist and its handling of thorny issues such as the rights of women in a patriarchal society allow it to retain a degree of topicality, even after almost 700 years. Chaucer’s subtle humour makes for a satirical work where the irony is often double edged, a feature found in the work of those he influenced. Later satirical writings, such as those of Swift and Vonnegut, particularly appeal to me. They represent different stages of a long literary tradition, and it is interesting to see how the influence of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ can still be felt in the works of modern authors. Billy Pilgrim among the Tralfamadorians in Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-5’, for example, has echoes of Gulliver among the Houyhnhnms.

Dickens’ vein of social satire, as in ‘Nicholas Nickleby’, is perhaps narrower in focus and less universal than that of others who take human nature itself as their subject. However, because of this it can be more didactic, and there is more optimism for improvement among individuals and smaller groups of people than there is for mass humanity. Gulliver rejects even his wife and children because they cannot conform to the unattainable standards of the Houyhnhnm society he idolises as super-beings. Vonnegut too asserts in his ‘Galapagos’ that humans will only live peacefully after evolution has disposed of their quintessentially human ‘big brains’.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Within my Classical Civilisation course I found my studies of Homer’s Odyssey especially rewarding, partially because of its status as a cornerstone of Western literature, but also because of the prevalence of the Odysseus myth in modern literature and culture. I have recently read Nikos Kazantzakis’ epic poem ‘The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel’, and found its parent work indispensable in my interpretation of it. Similarly, I found my reading of C.P. Cavafy’s ‘Ithaka’ much enriched by knowledge of its Homeric predecessor. Both poets have adopted a similar divergence from the classical text, projecting Odysseus in the light of the itinerant wanderer motivated by discovery, as opposed to a desire to return home and live peacefully. I am particularly interested in modern Greek literature, and aim to improve my own Greek to the level of being able to read the works of authors such as Kazantzakis in their original language. As so few authors less celebrated than Kazantzakis are ever translated into English, I feel that the effort would yield great rewards.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

During my gap year, I plan to complete a TEFL course in Corinth, Greece. I think that teaching English will give me opportunities to experience other cultures as well as give me a fresh perspective on English. I hope to spend a year teaching in Greece after finishing my degree, and improving my own language skills further, leading to a greater appreciation of both English and Greek literature.

Universities applied to:

• Cambridge
• Leeds
• St. Andrews
• York
• Durham

Grades achieved:

• English Literature - A
• History - A
• Psychology - B
• Classical Civilisation (AS) - A

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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