Why are we really here?

Well, here is my - perhaps subversive! - question - perhaps jumping the gun on our discussion tomorrow - prompted by the first two pages of the second half of the Coetzee book!! 

What is this class really about???

Is it about ecology?

Or is the real topic hiding right there in plain sight: is it really about how to be academic?

Excuse me if this is obvious! And excuse my punctuation! Dashes - and exclamation points - are probably not very academic!!!

What is the form? and what is the content?

What am I really asking?

(perhaps I alologize again: a bit punch drunk as the end of the semester approaches!)