Course Reflection

This class was actually quite terrifying in the very beginning of the quarter. I had no idea what to expect and the only reason I chose the class was because it fit with my schedule and it was at a decent time. I enjoy literature, but aside from that, I did not have a very strong feeling coming into this class. I was surrounded by upperclassmen and despite the fact that I have been told numerous times to not worry about this, I could not find my voice within the class. Considering the fact that I am not even a literature major, I felt like my analysis was basic and irrelevant to the class as a whole. It was incredibly difficult to speak and even when asked to read it was still somewhat frightening. Nevertheless, this class began to grow on me and I truly did enjoy the class. My eyes were opened to the critical analysis of the works and the gross ethical values that colonialism contains. In high school and prior years of education, colonialism is described in such a way that romanticizes the concept or barely scratches the surface of what imperialism does to the imperialized and this class has made me realize what sort of atrocities had been committed.
What stood out to me the most was militourism. I never noticed the violence that must have occurred in order to acquire such property and the disgusting feeling of ignorance and entitlement that the tourists have toward the place. When traveling to places such as the Philippines I noticed the large financial disparities between tourist locations and the typical neighborhood of Manila, however I failed to put any thought into this; now that I have been involved in a class which discussed this aspect, I can actually acknowledge what has gone into creating this false representation of what the Philippines.