Hollywood has taught us to think and dream big but what happens when real life gets in the way? Columnist Katherina Riesner wonders whether universities still encourage students to follow their passions.
A few weeks ago, I watched Inside Llewyn Davis, a movie about a struggling folk musician during the 1960s. Llewyn, the main character, is a talented guy but life is not working out like he had hoped. He has no place to live; he lost his former duet partner to suicide and his solo record isn’t selling at all. In a conventional Hollywood movie, Llewyn would have an implausible breakout performance and end up becoming the next Bob Dylan. Instead, no miracle takes place. Life wears him down and he needs to accept defeat by taking back his old job that will at least earn him a monthly paycheck. L’art pour l’art simply isn’t enough anymore. His dream, his passion, his art gets crushed by the harshness of everyday life.
Usually, the entertainment industry teaches us to follow our dreams, no matter how far-fetched they are. Movies are full of these characters, which in spite of all odds, make it to the top and succeed. In real life, though we know that a fate like Llewyn’s is more realistic. Having artistic talent, be it singing, dancing, painting, writing, or acting, is not enough; otherwise we would find millions of professional singers or painters out there. But what happens in between those adolescent dreams and the soul-crushing everyday life of a corporate consultant or tax lawyer?
The answer to this is simple, yet unsatisfying – life. The responsibilities that arise when people grow up; the dreams that develop in addition to the passions we used to nurse. But the pivotal point of this development, which some may call maturation, and others the suffocation of our ambitions and ideas, is the higher educational system.
Universities used to be temples of learning, entirely separate from the corporate world, existing to broaden our view of the world, to expand our horizons. Economical gain be damned. Academia was supposed to be a space where “people [are] free to pursue excellence and self-fulfilment, each according to her own rhythm and inclination” (David Lodge’s Nice Work, 1988). Instead, society sees university as the stage before entry into the workforce. The modern day consensus is that it should specifically prepare its students for their future jobs; the credo being ‘less theory, more practice’, ‘be useful’.
People who pursue a degree simply because they are passionate about their field get eyed suspiciously. Art for art’s sake is – regrettably – no longer valid in the times we live in. More and more students are doubtful of the past, idealistic nature of universities and opt out of the arts and humanities from the beginning. Or come graduation they consider doing a second degree in business. Adding an MBA to their résumé, they, like Llewyn, leave their dreams behind to make sure they can pay next month’s rent.
