Just finished the second week of my Primary Tutorial. I was extremely nervous about this one, because I felt like my essay was crap. Perhaps it was the subject I was writing on. For those of you who aren't familiar with Samuel Richardson's Pamela, don't get familiar. Over 500 pages of a girl trying to stay virtuous. I don't buy it. Which was what my essay was on. I am completely anti Pamela, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) would love to read Fielding's Shamela just to see this excellent "example" of an innocent woman put down. Anyways, I did all right. It is incredibly unnerving to have your essay read aloud by an Oxford tutor, waiting for him to pause and correct you or point out flaws in your prose. Extremely nerve-wracking. I told him I had a much more difficult time in writing about Pamela than I did Moll Flanders. Perhaps because Moll was just one step above being a prostitute and actually had a somewhat interesting life...unlike Pamela. My tutor said that I listened to his suggestions, tightened my prose, and improved my essay this week. Interesting. Didn't realize that, but thanks!
The second greatest discovery of my time at Oxford is Cream Tea. Basically, after my tutorial I was hungry so I went to Combibo's for a snack. With Cream Tea you get a cup of tea, a warm scone, with butter, jam, and clotted cream (the greatest invention in the history of the universe). I sat and read Tom Jones in Combibo's for about an hour and felt very intellectual. Which is what I should actually be doing now if I want to continue being able to go out during the week in the Oxford tradition.
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