Pride and Prejudice, To Kill and Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Animal Farm. Many seniors at CHS may recognize these classic pieces of literature from class assignments, but how many of them are reading them? There seems to be a literary crisis on our hands, as students seem uninterested in acclaimed literature and are unable to understand the complex themes in the texts. In a changing time, should an emphasis and ability to understand and read classic literature still be important for graduating seniors?
The simple answer is yes, graduating seniors should be able to read a classic piece of literature. It shows the ability to understand complex themes, delve into difficult topics, and leads readers to be able to question the world around them. But as the world seems to pull students in many different directions, an emphasis on reading has dramatically decreased. Instead of having the time or being motivated by boredom, students are busy with sports, jobs, clubs, and they are distracted by the modern stream of entertainment. Students aren’t motivated by themselves to read a difficult novel, only forced to if school requires them to.
But maybe the issue isn’t with the students, it’s with the literature itself. When classic literature was created, the plot, jokes, and problems that many of the stories emphasized were relatable to readers at the time, allowing for the deeper message of the text to be conveyed easily to readers, something that modern-day readers struggle with.
Not being able to understand what the text is saying prevents readers from being able to grasp the complex topics and themes that the texts emphasize, making the texts feel useless to readers. The tools like lit charts and spark notes that students turn to when they don’t understand the text, make it easier to complete assignments and work related to the text, but they never learn how to read and assess the texts they were given. Reading assignments motivate students to read quickly and not actually take the time to enjoy what they are reading, focusing more on finishing their homework instead of enjoying a good book.
In reality, the issue isn’t with the students, teachers, or literature, it’s with society itself. When many of the classics were created, they were created and popularized because many people were bored. Readers didn’t have other distractions like social media, television, the internet, or video games, they used books for entertainment and enlightenment. Instead of looking to literature and its authors as guiding compasses and a tool to question their surrounding world, modern teenagers look to their favorite influencer, podcaster, or celebrity to provide this important guidance. This modern shift away from literature has its consequences, nationwide studies show a decrease in adult literacy rates and a decrease in nationwide reading. This decrease means that many Americans are losing out on the benefits of reading, which include benefits to concentration, emotional intelligence, and increasing knowledge.
As seniors, including myself, who graduated from CHS, it’s time for us to pick up a book and learn a thing or two. In order to fix the problem, students have to start taking control over their literacy and time. We need to choose to pick up a book instead of our phone, and learn to use books to question and learn about the world around us. If we can continue to emphasize reading at the high school level, offering students classic novels or any other books that pique their interest, we have to encourage students to read and motivate them to take action and responsibility. Every high school senior should be able to read a classic piece of literature, and it needs to be their choice.
