Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Paul de Man fail Harvardâs general examination in 1957?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Paul de Man failed Harvardâs general examination in October 1957 primarily because he had not made sufficient progress on his Ph.D. thesis, a requirement for junior fellows at the university. Additionally, he had not had enough time to study for the examination and felt uncomfortable with testing, a sentiment that dated back to his earlier academic experiences at the Free University of Brussels (ULB).1