“The Loss of the Creature,” by Walter Percy

1. What questions did the reading leave you with?
“The Loss of the Creature,” by Walter Percy, did an incredible job of painting a vivid picture in the mind of the reader. The situations described, such as being a tourist, are something that pretty much everyone can relate to. The investigation of conforming to the way that people are supposed to view things was so true. However, the reading did leave me with a question about the flow of the essay. I felt that it could have been written a bit differently in order to get the same point across. For example, the first section of the chapter discusses the Grand Canyon, and people’s expectations about visiting it. They conform to how they think they should view the Grand Canyon, similiar to the way one views it on a postcard. Visitors also tell their friends after a trip about how they thought of them while they were on a trip, almost to verify that they truely were there. The second part of the essay switches to a student, and how they view their work. While I can understand how the two topics tie in together – taking an example from the essay, “The situation of the tourist at the Grand Canyon and the biology student are special cases of a predicament in which everyone finds himself in a modern technical society – a society, that is, in which there is a division between expert and layman, planner and consumer, in which experts and planners take special measures to teach and edify the consumer. The measures taken are measures to appropriate to the consumer: the expert and the planner know and plan, but the consumer needs and experiences.” Aside from the flow of the essay, I would also be interested to know how Percy came up with some of the examples he did. They were all very detailed and impressively backed up, but also somewhat random.

2. What parts of the reading did you struggle with? Why?
I struggled with comprehending some of the examples provided to support Percy’s point. Especially in the second half of the essay, I found the example of the biology student somewhat hard to understand. I think that Percy could have used a more straightforward approach in trying to convey his message about the struggle about lost sovereignty and struggling with thinking.

3. Can you relate this reading back to our discussion of cliche?
I found that the first half of the essay was more closely related to our discussion of cliche than the second half. Percy’s discussion of the tourist and what he does to conform seemed very cliche. “Seeing the canyon under approved circumstances is seeing the symbolic complex head on. The thing is no longer the thing as it confronted the Spainiard; it is rather that which has already been formulated – by picture postcard, georgraphy book, tourist folders, and the words Grand Canyon. This just goes to show the way in which people conform their views of things, no matter how big or small, to what they think is “right” or the “correct” way of seeing something. “Where the Spaniard arose from his penetration of the thing itself, from a progressive discovery of depths, by the degree to which the canyon conforms to the preformed complex. If it does so, if it looks just like the postcard, he is pleased; he might even say, “Why it is every bit as beautiful as a picture postcard!” He feels he has not been cheated. But if it does not conform, if the colors are somber, he will not be able to see it directly; he will only be conscious of the disparity between what it is and what it is supposed to be.”

The Undergraduate Experience

There are numerous aspects that make up a well rounded college experience. Different pieces make up the whole; from classes to clubs, from sports to new friends, all of these help to balance out the collegiate experience, which varies for every person. Everyone comes to school with different hopes, goals, and expectations. It is extremely important for one to use time effectively and wisely, especially when exploring new and unique areas of learning or interest.
College is an exciting time, and the undergraduate experience at a liberal arts college such as Mary Washington is unique. Many things on the UMW campus represent a true liberal arts school and give it a “college feeling.” When I think of what a liberal arts college is, I think of a gorgeous campus, with ivy growing up buildings and around metal gates.

(photo taken by Avenue44)
Gates such as these are a symbolic welcome to the campus. As the gates open, the academic journey has begun. Beyond these gates lies a world of books, friends, challenging yet informative classes, and many memories. It’s also a way to enclose many different people, languages, and backgrounds into one common place; a melting pot, almost, to learn how to live and interact with one another. I also think of a cozy campus, lit up at night to illuminate the Gregorian buildings in all their glory.

(photo taken by Cyprien)
The best season for a liberal arts college is autumn, when the air is crisp enough to sit outside on a bench and read. The amphitheatre is also a good example of a unique aspect of UMW. It’s rich history has made it known and interesting to students. Not only do friends meet here, but some classes take place here as well. It is another example of how the liberal arts college experience is not as structured and strict as traditional colleges. Thinking “outside of the box” allows for so much development and introspection.

(photo taken by Avenue44)

(photo taken by TWLoughlin)

(photo by Cyprien)
College sparks thoughts of coffehouses and book readings, and acoustic guitar concerts in intimate cafes. Events such as these exhibit the freedom of mind and expression that college allows. With a faculty that supports each and every student in what they excel in, talents are nurtured and skills are developed. Instead of trying to make every student fit a certain mold, whether it be vocational or just as a person, a liberal arts college embraces differences and new ideas.

(photo by Elena777)
Through a liberal arts education, you are able to combine knowledge and creativity in ways that you never thought possible before. It opens the mind to new ways of learning, which holds the key to endless intellectual adventure and exploration. New ways of thinking, interacting, and understanding are developed through a university such as Mary Washington, and everyone who embarks upon the journey will come out of it being more well rounded and better suited for the vocation that awaits them, no matter what the field.