Challenging Integrity and Ability

I realise that graduate school is about independent research, but, for those who don't know this, I will reveal a detail of the limitations of this independence. The research must, on some level, be pitched for the evaluators in order to have success. This is no revelation to most individuals, no matter in what field s/he works, but it is often overlooked in academics.

In preparing my presentation on Doubt in Ireland, I gathered a multitude of information that was interesting (thanks Karen!!), but couldn't be included in the final presentation because of space/time constraints and content restrictions (i.e. I needed to emphasise the contemporary Irish context because that was the course for which I was doing the work and the context in which my worked would be evaluated).

Now I am continuing my research into Tom Murphy's The Blue Macushla (thanks to Nora and my Dad for the ideas!), but am realising that I need to focus my efforts into what will fit the course requirements. If I choose to focus on theory, I must pick a theory covered in my course and ensure that enough of the paper is devoted to that theory; if I focus on theatre in Ireland, I must ensure that most of the paper is historically relevant within that context (a more vague and subjective context for assessment).

I figure it's like trying to get into a book or a conference: I must make sure the work I create meets the 'commissioning agency' interests. And, hopefully, it will also meet my interests. That is my challenge: to fulfill the course requirements while fulfilling my goals.