(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

Hi folks! Question: how do we feel about the use of "I" in humanities papers? Someone (not a prof) has just read an essay for me and edited out every use of the first person. I understand that this is a valid response, but I personally find it frustrating. I think the passive voice is awkward, takes the life out of a text, and furthermore find it a dishonest attempt to obscure the context of the piece and its origin*; I find structures like "The rest of this essay will explore A, B, and C" idiotic. I have read plenty of articles that use "I" in the same way I do. Is this one of those "Do as I say not as I do until you have a PhD and tenure" things? I know it can be used badly, and sometimes I do (and then try to catch it on an editing pass), but I don't think every use of it ever is bad.

*This, if you were wondering, is What Is Wrong With Science Today.

Comments

[ariastar.livejournal.com]

Most of my professors have announced sternly that they won't put up with any passive voice shenanigans and that they know you're the one writing the essay, so 'I' away! Obviously my professors are not yours, but I have been taught that in humanities papers passive voice is a far bigger sin than using the first person.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with your profs. There are active-voice ways to avoid the first person - "This essay will explore", for e.g. - but they tend to take more words, and since I already tend to the verbose I hate that.