The Relevancy of Classic Literature in the Modern World
Ernest Hemingway. Jane Austen. Charles Dickens. Charlotte Brontë. Leo Tolstoy. Louisa May Alcott. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Authors of the classics. Powerful and respected, these names of renowned authors carry a distinct weight to them — we associate their books with deep, complex, and nuanced ideas, believing that in order to comprehend their masterpieces, we must be both intellectual and creative. A study done by the Guardian in 2016 found that 7% of adults who have read classic literature have done so only because they felt they should, or to prove their capability. In contrast, those who had read equally extraordinary modern literature authors, like Chimamanda Adichie, Zadie Smith, and Donna Tartt, reported that they did not receive the same feeling of accomplishment from reading modern literature that they did after reading the classics. The juxtaposition in the way classic and modern literature is viewed raises an important question: what type of literature should we be reading, and why should we be reading it?
The Literary Canon
The literary canon, known as a list of the most influential pieces of literature, names books that are considered essential to our society, often having withstood the test of time. Books included in the literary canon are placed on a pedestal, untouchable to any negative reviews that may disrespect them. Some examples of books in the literary canon include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and 1984 by George Orwell.
According to Wesley Morris, a New York Times Cultural Critic, “the people drawing up our cultural canons have been an elite group of scholars and critics who embraced a work of art and sent it aloft to some deifying realm.” In 1994, literary critic Harold Bloom published his book The Western Canon, naming several authors he deemed “immortal,” for their indispensable contributions to the literary world, including Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf. This led to immense controversy from the public surrounding the subjectivity of the literary canon. After all, the main criteria that a novel must fulfill in order to become a part of the literary canon are to greatly appeal to intellectual scholars and critics.
High School Humanities
The evolution of the term “literary canon” raised discussion surrounding the diversity of novels taught in high school English classes. For several years, most of the required novels for high school English classes have been works of white males. In recent years, while there has been some progression in the diversity of books taught, many high schoolers have not yet developed an appreciation for reading. In the 1970s, 60% of high schoolers read from a book or magazine every day, but by 2016, only 16% of high schoolers read every day. This is in part due to the limited selection of novels taught in high schools. Only reading the “classics” in school can cause some students to label books as boring and do minimal reading outside of school. Fostering a love of reading in teenagers is crucial — which likely means including more modern literature in the English curriculum.
This concept of the literary canon and its impact on students provoked me to wonder how high school English teachers at Overlake view the literary canon and the “classics.” When asked about the value in reading the classics, Overlake English teacher Stephen Ringo explained, “The value of reading ‘classical’ texts of the English language canon is to read writing that has inspired many generations of readers. Also, such reading helps to inform current generations as we shape and reshape what new readers consider the value of the very idea of ‘canon.’” Regarding how the literary canon has influenced his teaching style, Ringo wrote “I have moved increasingly away from ties to the Eurocentric and the male-dominated ‘Western canon’ and still use it sparingly for teaching English.”
Although reading classic literature has several benefits, it is imperative that high school English classes have a balance of types of literature by various authors. Developing a love of reading in youth will last throughout their lives, which is why it is important to include more modern literature in high school syllabuses. After all, the power of a book is indescribable.
