Classics should be replaced with modern literature
March 18, 2022
Most of us are familiar with the many classic texts required in high school English classes: “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Lord of The Flies,” and countless others. As someone who enjoys reading, I try to have a positive attitude about classics. Even so, it’s often difficult to understand the text or find it engaging. I can only imagine how students that don’t like to read feel about, one, being forced to read, and two, having to read something that they’re most likely not going to understand or find relatable in English class.
Noticeably, students are feeling an increasing disconnect to books. Fewer and fewer teens are reading outside the classroom, and it’s correlated with the types of books that are required in school. When assigned classics such as The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird, both of which are set in the early to mid-1900s, students often find the text difficult to comprehend as they are written in a language and style that’s much different than what most teens are accustomed to. In addition, most classics are intended for an adult audience, further making it harder for students to comprehend.
These difficulties in classic texts often lead students to take shortcuts, such as using SparkNotes, for their reading assignments. In this case, they are seeking summaries that are written in a modern format, which means they are not truly capturing the essence of the classic writing style. When students are actually interested in a story, they are more likely to complete the reading and participate in class discussions and assignments, therefore learning more from the text.
Many claim that classic novels should remain in high school English curriculums because their lessons are timeless. While this may be true, there are also recent novels that contain the same important themes. Even better, they’ve been adapted to include present-day information that is more relatable to readers.
Some also say that the messages of old novels can be applied to the modern world, but that isn’t what they were intended for. They weren’t written for the future but for the time period during which they were written. Although the main concepts can be adapted to apply to the current day, it’s better to select novels by authors who are living in the same modern society as their readers. Those who understand and have experienced the problems of present-day society.
Classic books are definitely classics for a reason, but compared to the enriching entertainment received from social media and other online platforms, they are boring to high school students. In order to have students learn and engage more thoroughly with assigned texts, English classes should switch to more modern literature.
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alligator1234567891011121314151617181920 • Feb 29, 2024 at 8:45 am
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Kristy • Nov 29, 2022 at 9:35 am
Remove them because they are some what difficult or boring? With work comes growth. The exposure to different words and writing styles is neccessary. We have to be challenged to learn. Making things easier because someone doesn’t want to put in the effort is a terrible solution. That will undermine children not help them.
Teagan • Dec 7, 2022 at 1:08 pm
You make a valid point, however how many teens and students do you know that will actually take the time to learn and grow? Today’s society is very different than where it was years ago. Even students back then used friends or other means to skirt around doing the actual reading. Classic language can also be a barrier to many, which makes reading less enticing. There is a time and place for classic literature, but in my experience I’ve found that it dampens the interest in reading and doesn’t have the effect people think it does.
Rose • Jun 23, 2022 at 9:54 am
If you never read classic literature you will never understand it. We are dumbing down the poorer sectors of this country for what end? We should not replace any classics, we should only add to the choice of literature we have. This needs to stop for the future of British culture and British literature lovers; American school are also feeling the heat. If we don’t give teens a chance to learn how will they be educated enough to fight for their rights and not get the wool pulled over their eyes. We shall not dumb down, we shall not give in. We shall not let the ones at the top who have no interest in British culture ( or western society) who are trying to destroy English literature succeed.