Yinzhi Xu ’18

Name: Yinzhi Xu ’18

Hometown:  Shenzhen, China

Academic focus: English and mathematics double major

Proudest accomplishment at Mount Holyoke: My proudest accomplishment is that I will graduate with a degree in English. I still remember that four years ago, when I sat in my first English class, I understood almost nothing. These four years were extremely challenging and I had spent most of my college life reading and writing for my English courses. At first, I needed to rewrite all my papers before turning them in. I had to do my readings at least two times just to get the basic idea. And I needed to go to my professors’ office hours every week, asking them to go through readings with me. In this process , my progress was obvious even to myself: I started to like my readings, was able to follow class discussions and received some positive paper-feedback. My initial frustration was gradually transformed into enjoyment. As a child, I developed a deep interest in literature. I am so glad that as I continued my education in a foreign country, despite all the difficulties imposed by linguistic barriers and cultural differences, I insisted on doing what I like the most.

How a close connection with a faculty member has shaped you: My first English professor, Christopher Benfey (Andrew W. Mellon Professor of English), has been a supportive mentor and an understanding friend in these past four years. In my first year, when I complained that I could not understand Emerson, he went through every single sentence with me. He always kept my interests in mind and indulged me to work on whatever I like. It was under his guidance that I finished my thesis, that my intellectual passion took shape, and that I started to envision a future in academia. More importantly, as a friend, Professor Benfey understands my concerns and anxieties even before I find a proper way to express them. His confidence in me gives me the courage to take on new challenges.

Favorite course you thought you might not like: I took a class on medieval literature titled The Curious Middle Ages with Wesley Yu (the chair of medieval studies and associate professor of English). I took that class basically to fulfill my major requirement. But I ended up being deeply intrigued by the development of science in the Middle Ages, especially by how scientific discoveries engage with theological concerns. Professor Yu made enormous effort in educating me about both the foundation of Christianity and the popular hermeneutics at that time. I especially enjoyed writing my final paper, which investigated John Pecham’s contribution towards optical science, as revealed in “Perspectiva communis.”

Best takeaway from internship or research experiences: My most important research experience so far is my thesis, finished under the supervision of Professor Benfey. It is a selective account of the discourse about Confucianism and Confucian China in American literature from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Through conducting this project, I was exposed to the complexity of cultural interactions. I also realized that the understanding of the self cannot be separated from the understanding of the other. Instead of being restricted to literary studies, my research expands my horizons by introducing me to topics like Hegelian dialectics, Chinese ink painting and Japanese Ukiyo-e, which I had no previous knowledge of. Besides being intellectually fulfilling, this project has personal importance to me. I would not have become an English major without Professor Benfey’s unswerving effort in teaching me during my first year. I feel so lucky that the person who guided me in the first place is still my companion as I approach the end of my Mount Holyoke experience.

Favorite Five College experience: I took three classes in the UMass Amherst comparative literature department, including two graduate seminars. One of them, on Anglo- and Latin American colonial writings, introduced me to the colonization of the Americas, and formulated my thinking on cultural encounters by providing me with the language and consciousness to analyze topics such as gendered representation, projection, and the question of self and other. Meanwhile, my colleagues in that class showed me what ideal class discussion should look like. They were also very generous in sharing their experiences as graduate students with me. Those conversations enabled me to obtain a clearer vision about my own future.

How Mount Holyoke has shaped your global outlook: I took many classes on East Asian studies here. My Mount Holyoke education gave me a new angle to evaluate my own culture critically. Also, I took several classes in the German department, where I received not only language training, but also the chances to learn about German philosophy, film and literature.

Future plans: In the coming fall, I will continue my studies in the comparative literature program at the University of Chicago. I intend to focus on comparative study of American, Chinese and Japanese literatures from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.