Who Are You And What Are You Doing Here? (Mark Edmundson) Analysis

Who Are You And What Are Your Doing Here? is written by Dr. Mark Edmundson, a professor in the University of Virginia's Department of English. This is one of Edmundson's many essays on education, and was published in Oxford American, a Southern literary journal. As a university professor, Edmundson directs this essay to incoming college freshmen, teaching them that society pushes students to use higher education as merely a conduit for a high-paying first job. He explores the pitfalls of higher education and the requirements of of receiving a meaningful education that will lead to a spiritually fulfilling career.  He maintains that this fulfilling lifestyle, one in which we "expend our energies in rightful ways" (101) that can "restore you as you go" (100), can be achieved only through finding and pursuing one's particular passion, even though this requires more effort. Edmundson begins the essay in the second person, establishing a familiar tone with the reader, as if he is talking directly to them. This feeling continues throughout the piece, as he uses some informal writing, for example an issue in his teaching career was "small potatoes" (89). Despite this, Edmundson quickly reveals himself to be knowledgable, recounting his time before college when he had to decide what he wanted to study. Later, he makes it known that he is a professor at a university, establishing his credibility. In terms of organization, Edmundson begins with a detailed survey of a typical college life, logically progressing to the positive product of higher education: "You'll get a good job, you'll have plenty of friends, you'll have a driveway all your own" (95). Here he dramatically changes focus, saying that, in fact, a student who does "what society needs done" (100) will not be happy. Edmundson follows with a description of Emerson and Freud, two prominent writers that add to his credibility and provide a historical perspective on modern events. He utilizes an anecdote about his father's unfulfilling career and concludes with a thought experiment about the benefits of following one's passion. I think the essay is extremely well crafted and written with an authoritative tone that convinced me that Edmundson is very knowledgeable. He established an opposing argument and proceeded to refute it, using a barrage of insight, stories, and prominent figures in literature.

Gateway
Decisions in college determine how fulfilling one's life can be.
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