is classic literature still relevant in modern education

Do we still need to read and teach the classics?

Login or create an account

Hooked on Classics

• Posted August 28, 2019
• By Jill Anderson

With every new book English teacher Jabari Sellars , Ed.M.’18, introduced to his eighth graders, Shawn had something to say:

“This is lame.”

“This is wrong.”

“Are you serious?”

At first Sellars dismissed the reaction as 13-year-old Shawn just not liking to read.

After all, the book selection for Sellars’ Washington, D.C., class resembled the lists used in a lot of American schools. The Iliad . Romeo & Juliet . The Book Thief . Lord of the Flies . So when Shawn suggested alternative titles — demonstrating how well-read and interested he truly was — Sellars realized he had a different problem: All we’re reading are books about white people.

In a quick attempt to offer something different, Sellars turned to another genre rarely used in schools — a comic book — only to fail again when students identified in the Astonishing X-Men another white male protagonist. Having grown up cherishing the classics, like many English teachers, Sellars hadn’t strayed too far from the influential and often very “white” literary canon — the books and texts considered to be the most important.

It’s been more than 50 years since literacy experts first stressed the need for more diverse books in the classroom, and yet reading lists look surprisingly the same as they did in 1970.

“People teach what they’re comfortable with, so the choices become this narrow realm of what you liked and what you’re familiar with,” says Senior Lecturer Pamela Mason , M.A.T.’70, Ed.D.’75, who directs the Ed School’s Language and Literacy Program. Moving away from the classics toward more diverse books can stretch “people’s imaginations and pedagogy,” she says, but it can also reveal how educators aren’t equipped for that change.

The canon has long been revered in public education as representing the “depth and breadth of our national common experience,” Mason says, the books that many believe all high school students should be studying. The problem is that what was once defined as “common” — middle class, white, cisgender people — is no longer the reality in our country. Unfortunately, Mason says, “making a case for new literature by different authors of color, authors who are not cisgendered, or even just female authors” is a challenge.

Liz Phipps Soeiro, Ed.M.’19, an elementary school librarian in Cambridge, realized the canon’s power after returning to the White House 10 Dr. Seuss books donated by First Lady Melania Trump in 2017. In a now viral blog post explaining her reasons, she wrote about disappearing school libraries, policies that work against underprivileged communities, and how although considered a classic, Dr. Seuss was “steeped in racism and harmful stereotypes.” People responded harshly through personal attacks and threats on Soeiro and her family.

“It’s more complex than ‘I want to throw Dr. Seuss away,’” she says, disputing the charge that she hates Dr. Seuss. While attending a children’s book conference 10 years ago, she saw no diverse books being highlighted and asked the book vendor why, only for the question to be dismissed. It forced Soeiro to think more deeply about inequities, realizing that books — even the most beloved — are part of systemic issues. “Knowing the history of this country and the history of our educational system really puts into sharp focus just how urgent it is to have representation in our books, stories, narratives, and media that we share with children,” she says.

Literacy experts have long called for more representation in children’s literature. In 1965, literacy champion Nancy Larrick’s Saturday Review article, “The All-White World of Children’s Books,” noted how millions of children of color were learning from books that completely omitted them.

Then, nearly 25 years later, children’s literary expert Rudine Sims Bishop reiterated children’s need for mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors in books to “understand each other better” and “change our attitudes toward difference.” As she wrote in the 1990 publication Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom , “When there are enough books available that can act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our difference and our similarities, because together they are what makes us all human.”

Yet, in the past 24 years, multicultural content, according to book publisher Lee & Low, represents only 13% of children’s literature. Despite national movements like We Need Diverse Books and DisruptTexts, and despite a growing number of diverse books, only 7% are written by people of color.

Considering that the American student population is now 50% nonwhite, the need for that mirror — for opportunities for children to see themselves and navigate a more diverse world — seems more pressing. Much like Sellars’ students, children notice the lack of representation surrounding them. English teachers interviewed for this story, particularly at middle and high school levels, described how students complain about representation, cultural relevance, and boredom in text. Those complaints, especially boredom, signal to Mason a greater need for variety in the classroom.

The solution seems obvious: Add more books that represent LGBTQ issues, gender diversity, people of color, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. But even as teachers appear aware of a need to diversify the curriculum, there can be roadblocks to making it happen. For example, there’s a diversity gap in the book publishing industry regarding who gets published (mostly white authors), who gets awarded (mostly white authors), and which books make it onto school vendor booklists (mostly white creators). Add in the fact that new books are typically more expensive than classics, says Christina Dobbs, Ed.M.’06, Ed.D.’13, an assistant professor of English at Boston University, and it can be hard to make a case for change.

Even when teachers have the support of school administrators, funding, and autonomy over book selection, they still might feel lost.

“Some teachers might think, ‘I want to diversify the literature,’ but don’t know what to do with it,” says Lecturer Vicki Jacobs , C.A.S.’80, Ed.D.’86, a former English teacher who retired this summer as director of the Ed School’s Teacher Education Program. “They need to understand the multiple contexts — including background knowledge and lived experiences — that both they and their students bring to their reading and interpretations of those texts.”

This lack of understanding could explain why an elementary teacher of color from Virginia who attended a literature institute last year at the Ed School reported that she had discovered that other teachers in the school, who were predominantly white, weren’t using the more representative books she pushed for in the school library.

“It’s a mistake to think having the books gives people the tools to teach the books,” Dobbs says. In her role training teachers, she sees that many want to have conversations about diverse books but don’t know how. “We don’t have evidence that teachers can close that gap independently.”

Mason noticed similar apprehensions among educators, prompting her to create two professional learning experiences — an online module called Culturally Responsive Literature Instruction and its companion workshop on campus, Advancing Culturally Responsive Literature . Both programs, offered through the Ed School’s Professional Education program, focus on instructional literary practices that support and value the many identities present in the 21st-century classroom.

Last fall 51 educators, mostly teachers from the United States, gathered on the Ed School campus for a weekend spent learning how to bring new texts into their classrooms. There was plenty to discuss, like how to vet new books and develop a diverse curriculum to more predictable topics about meeting standards. (Common Core doesn’t identify required reading or tell you how to teach.)

Rachel Schubert, an 11th and 12th grade English teacher at Martha’s Vineyard High School in Massachusetts, attended the workshop to learn from other educators who are prioritizing this work. In her diverse classroom, she aims to strike a balance between the “classics” and multicultural texts like Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake . Still, she knows many teachers who stick to a classics-only approach, insisting there are ways to teach old books with a different lens too.

Schubert finds new books and methods helpful in creating space for students to grapple with tough issues and questions about identity. “The kids I teach are extremely hungry for these experiences. Diversifying the curriculum is one way to reach them,” she says. “Once you start doing it, it’s not that scary anymore.”

Fear can be a powerful deterrent to making change in the classroom. When adding diverse books and readings, Schubert and Sellars already know the tricky scenarios — how to address stereotypes or not being able to answer a student’s question — that might keep teachers away from the work.

In a lot of ways, learning how to understand and discuss difference with students connects back to the need for diverse books in the first place.

“In our nation, we haven’t been good at learning how to talk across differences in a respectful way,” Mason says. “And that is supposed to be the fabric of our democracy.” When you add in the fact that teacher training hasn’t always included work about race and identity, or even about addressing cultural assumptions, it becomes easy to see how adding diverse books to the curriculum can seem like treacherous territory.

New books come under scrutiny even though they often contain similar elements as classics. For instance, consider the racialized language in Huckleberry Finn , or the treatment of disabilities in Of Mice and Men , or even the sexual content in Romeo & Juliet . But those books still maintain a place in classrooms around the country, whereas new books like The Hate U Give get challenged as “anti-cop” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. The book also happens to deal with racial injustices and police brutality, and is written by a black female.

“It’s kind of odd that we don’t have a problem giving students of color books written by dead white men, but we get a little queasy when we give white students literature written by African American authors, Latinx authors, transgender authors, Asian American authors,” Mason says. She suggests that, rather than banning books, we instead lead students through a balanced analysis of literature.

As educators try to diversify texts in their classrooms, they need thoughtful intent when choosing which books are appropriate or in determining the methods to teach material. Without that clear purpose, Jacobs fears teachers get lost, along with students, in the text. That purpose also helps safeguard against backlash when you know why you’ve selected certain work.

“A lot of people will see a brown child on the cover of a book and think that’s enough,” Soeiro says. But it’s not. “We have to look critically at the agency of that child, who wrote the book, the dominant narrative in the book. It takes a lot of work.”

It’s work, say educators like Soeiro and Dobbs, that teachers need to do.

“If all you read is one book by an author of color and five books a year by dead white guys, how does that shape your ideas about how stories get told, who they’re about?” Dobbs says.

In some ways, we already know. Today’s educators and students still exist in a canonized world, where prized books both teach and constrain us.

“An inherent part of developing culturally responsive instruction is coming to terms with our narrow view of literature,” Sellars says. “Making our classes culturally responsive may mean bringing in new texts and media, which means teachers will relinquish their position as experts. Many teachers are reluctant to introduce a new text, or even teach an old text from a different perspective, because doing so doesn’t allow them to rely solely on previous lesson plans and teaching strategies.”

After Sellars’ student made him see his “blind spots,” he could have kept everything the same. It would have been easier. But he spent the summer rethinking the reading list. The following year his eighth graders read newer, less canonized books: Ultimate X-Men , Persepolis , Black Boy White School , and excerpts from The Song of Achilles . The experience moved Sellars from what he describes as just talking about being culturally relevant to actually doing the work.

Mason believes a new culture of teaching literature will emerge, one classroom success at at a time, as long as we chip away at the lingering notion that diverse books aren’t worthy of teachers’ time and attention.

“When teachers learn about the cultural assumptions that made them leery about including new, multicultural literature, then learn how to teach the books, that sets them off in a stance of strength and knowledge. Then they have a couple of successes in the classroom,” Mason says. Describing the potential for that success to then snowball among fellow teachers, she adds, “Another teacher tries with their support, and they get successful too, and the new book starts to become part of a larger repertoire of literature to share.” When confronted with a book from the canon, it becomes, ‘Do we have to teach that book again on this theme?’ Well, here are some other options that might be worth a try.’”

Jill Anderson is a senior digital content creator at the Ed School and host of the Harvard EdCast .

Reloading the Canon

Ed. Magazine

The magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Related Articles

Navigating Book Bans

A guide for educators as efforts intensify to censor books

How to Teach Comprehensive Black History

Four approaches to meaningfully incorporate the stories of Black Americans into curriculum — beyond February

Phase Two: The Reach

Reach Every Reader on its impact and the project’s next phase

You have exceeded your limit for simultaneous device logins.

Your current subscription allows you to be actively logged in on up to three (3) devices simultaneously. click on continue below to log out of other sessions and log in on this device., to teach or not to teach: is shakespeare still relevant to today's students.

Some educators abandon teaching the Bard's work, while others update and enhance Shakespeare curricula.

Here’s a sentence we couldn’t write without William Shakespeare, who invented or introduced nine of these words:

Ask if Shakespeare’s time-honored works and syllabus fixtures should be bumped to embrace the multitudinous other writers and you get hostile, fretful, quarrelsome, or sanctimonious reactions.

Shakespeare was a genius wordsmith who created engaging works that spoke to the human condition, psychology, and identity. His masterful wordplay, creative use of language, biting wit, puns, and innovative characters and plots have delighted generations of readers and made a lasting impact on literature and the English language. The plays, sonnets, and poems the Bard wrote in his lifetime (1564–1616) are mainstays of the high school English syllabus. But should all that ensure him a spot in the curriculum in perpetuity?

Ben Jonson, Shakespeare’s contemporary and fellow playwright, asserted that Shakespeare was “not of an age but for all time.” But he was very much of his time. Shakespeare’s works are full of problematic, outdated ideas, with plenty of misogyny, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, and misogynoir. Which raises the question: Is Shakespeare more valuable or relevant than myriad other authors who have written masterfully about anguish, love, history, comedy, and humanity in the past 400-odd years?

A growing number of educators are asking this about Shakespeare, along with other pillars of the canon, coming to the conclusion that it’s time for Shakespeare to be set aside or deemphasized to make room for modern, diverse, and inclusive voices. But the essential questions go far deeper than simply “to teach or not to teach.” Educators must ask whose stories are valued and what voices are elevated or silenced. What does a syllabus say about your students and their places in the world? Educators grappling with these questions are teaching, critiquing, questioning, and abandoning Shakespeare’s work, and offering alternatives for updating and enhancing curricula.  

New takes on old plays

Brittany Greene teaches Romeo and Juliet to ninth graders at Nazareth (PA) Area High School. Recently, her approach to this play has changed. “After reading about a woman named Laura Bates who taught Shakespeare to prison inmates, I was inspired to focus more on the violence within Romeo and Juliet ,” she says. Greene pairs the play with Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down , about a teenager weighing retribution after his brother is shot and killed, and has her students make connections between the main characters in both. Students “analyze the external factors that affect Romeo and Will [from Long Way Down ] and discuss the result of those external motivators on the characters’ behavior,” she says.

Sarah Mulhern Gross, a ninth and twelfth grade English teacher at High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ, also teaches Romeo and Juliet , but “through the lens of adolescent brain development with a side of toxic masculinity analysis,” she says.

Adriana Adame teaches at a charter school focused on college readiness and trauma-informed care in Texas. “All of our kids have higher ACE [adverse childhood experiences] scores, and that is taken into consideration with how and what we teach,” she says. With Hamlet , she focuses on the trauma, along with coping mechanisms and grief. Adame brings specialists in to speak about “what to do with grief and ways to keep from spiraling when faced with stressful situations,” she says.

Elizabeth Neilson, a high school English teacher at Twin Cities Academy, a college prep–focused charter school in St. Paul, MN, uses Coriolanus to teach Marxist theory. “When they read a text written centuries ago [that] addresses events and people from even longer ago, it is easier for them to divorce their analysis from their biases and inherited beliefs about class in the modern era,” Neilson says.

Another approach to Shakespeare is pairing the source material with retellings that offer creative, modern, inclusive twists on the plays. Dahlia Adler, editor of the forthcoming YA anthology That Way Madness Lies: Fifteen of Shakespeare’s Most Notable Works Reimagined (Flatiron, March 2021), believes these new takes on classic stories are “more accessible to a much greater range of readers who don’t often get to see themselves in the books they read for school.”

Author Lily Anderson’s retelling of As You Like It is included in the anthology, with a plot line involving a summer camp in the woods for adults. One of Anderson’s favorite things about Shakespeare’s works is how reference-heavy they are. “Each play contains a secret reading list of myths, histories, parables, and other plays,” she says. By keeping Shakespeare and his works relevant, “we are also keeping alive a connection to stories going back to antiquity, a chain of popular culture from present to remote past.”

While Shakespeare continues to be widely taught, part of reconsidering the canon must contend with how he became a staple. Shakespeare can show up year after year on a syllabus because teachers may have little autonomy to choose their curriculum, using texts their schools own, and have little to no budget to change them.

Ayanna Thompson, director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and professor of English at Arizona State University, is a Shakespeare scholar with deep roots in African American and postcolonial literature. On why the playwright’s works have become fixtures in education, Thompson says, “Shakespeare was a tool used to ‘civilize’ Black and brown people in England’s empire. As part of the colonizing efforts of the British in imperial India, the first English literature curricula were constructed, and Shakespeare’s plays were central to that new curricula.”

The meaning of “universal”

If the Bard became a fixture in part due to colonialism, another assumption to consider is what it means when people say his works, or any, are “universal.”

“We need to challenge the whiteness of [that ] statement: The idea that the dominant values are or should be ‘universal’ is harmful,” says Jeffrey Austin, ELA department chair at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, MI. If teachers want to teach themes traditionally covered in canonical works, they can also look to modern voices that speak to those themes through a wide range of perspectives beyond the dominant identities and values.

Another common concern is that if students don’t study Shakespeare, they will be at an academic disadvantage. But Thompson questions this line of thought. “At a disadvantage for what? The premise of this question seems to be framed on an older colonial/imperial model. A true disadvantage is not knowing how to read, understand, analyze, and grapple with the cultural or political contexts of any piece of literature,” she says.

Claire Bruncke, who, until this year, taught language arts classes at a small, rural public school in Washington State, dropped Shakespeare from her syllabus. “I asked my principal if there was a requirement for how much [Shakespeare] I needed to cover,” she says. She was told that as long as she was teaching the standards, it didn’t matter. She used the time they would have spent on Shakespeare for writing labs and reading anthologies and novels not typically found in the canon. “My students’ [positive] response to this work solidified my decision,” Bruncke says.

Cameron Campos, an English teacher at Foothills Composite High School in Alberta, Canada, has generally moved away from teaching what’s considered classic. “My grade 11 and 12 courses use texts almost entirely written by Indigenous authors, except for a few Canadian classic short stories and some works by contemporary poets,” Campos says. “The only author that the curriculum dictates we teach is Shakespeare.” However, with this year’s provincial exam likely to be canceled or made optional, Campos was able to skip Shakespeare and teach The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse instead.

Liz Matthews, a ninth grade English teacher at Hartford (CT) Public High School, a school that is 95 percent Black and Latinx, has also chosen to pass on Shakespeare.

“I replaced Romeo and Juliet with  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros last year and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds this year,” she says. “Simply put, the authors and characters of the two new[er] books look and sound like my students, and they can make realistic connections. Representation matters.”  

Defenders of the Bard

A quick glance at the Internet shows that many are infuriated by the question of removing or replacing Shakespeare in schools. But if education values innovation, then curriculum revisions should not be controversial, proponents insist. If the point of language arts classes is to explore literature through critical analysis; grow writers; increase skills, literacy, and meaningful engagement; and create lifelong readers, students can do that through any text.

“All pedagogy needs to evolve to reflect different modes of learning, and in turn, syllabi should never be written in stone,” says Thompson, who doesn’t believe a syllabus needs to be changed in a binary way by replacing Shakespeare with other authors. Thompson offers some suggestions for authors to add in order to enrich study of Shakespeare. “Toni Morrison, August Wilson, Amiri Baraka, Djanet Sears, Gayl Jones, W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, and countless modern artists from Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia have written in response to Shakespeare,” Thompson says. “There are rich global perspectives from which Shakespeare can be approached, taught, and analyzed.”

Lorena Germán, an Austin, TX, educator and a cofounder of DisruptTexts, suggested alternatives in a #DisruptTexts Twitter chat. “Trust me, your kids will be fine if they don’t read [Shakespeare],” Germán wrote. She suggested educators update their syllabus to include Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, Color Struck by Zora Neale Hurston, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, and Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”… and the Boys. “These are all plays and have so much to break down. They’re deep and powerful.”

“There is nothing to be gained from Shakespeare that couldn’t be gotten from exploring the works of other authors,” Austin says. “It’s worth pushing back against the idea that somehow Shakespeare stands alone as a solitary genius when every culture has transcendent writers that don’t get included in our curriculum or classroom libraries.”

Campos agrees. “Surely no author should be given such an elevated place in our curriculum,” he says. “Asking ourselves why we privilege certain texts and authors is a conversation more teachers need to be having.”

Let the past be prologue

Bruncke, who focuses on student choice, has never had a student ask why she stopped teaching Shakespeare. “I know we must do better in the ELA classroom to stray from centering the narrative of white, cisgender, heterosexual men, and eliminating Shakespeare was a step I could easily take to work toward that. And it proved worthwhile for my students.”

Intentional or not, the reliance on older works also sends the message to students that modern literature isn’t as worthy. Are we making room for the canon to evolve and change, to bring in current and future classics?

“I frequently see teachers singing the praises of a book like Dear Martin by Nic Stone, but in the same breath, telling students to read it on their own time, as if it doesn’t deserve classroom space,” says Austin. “In my conferences with students across districts, they report the same frustrations: The books they want to read are pushed to the side as unserious entertainment, while books they don’t want to read become the centerpieces of their learning.”

Austin goes on to talk about the many BIPOC teachers and scholars who have long been challenging the very idea of the canon and pushing for more inclusive classrooms. “We’ve been given the tools, strategies, and frameworks, but no one can give us the belief, commitment, and wherewithal. That’s on us,” he says. “It’s hard work, because we’re challenging deeply ingrained beliefs around what and whose knowledge is essential. Making our spaces more identity-affirming and equity-driven requires constant effort.”

Reconsidering the canon can also drive home the point that literature belongs to us all. With new additions, richer conversations may emerge, and there may be deeper personal engagement with texts, more connections, and more passion. Educators must also contend with their own nostalgic attachments to and beliefs in the established works. Embracing the diversity in literature will affirm students’ lives, voices, and experiences, a growing number of educators say: Let what’s past be prologue as we look ahead to the future of teaching literature.

Amanda MacGregor ( @CiteSomething ) blogs at “Teen Librarian Toolbox.”

Get Print. Get Digital. Get Both!

Libraries are always evolving. Stay ahead. Log In.

Add Comment :-

Comment policy:.

• Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
• Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
• Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
• Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
• If you see something objectionable, please let us know . Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

First Name should not be empty !!!

Last Name should not be empty !!!

email should not be empty !!!

Comment should not be empty !!!

You should check the checkbox.

Please check the reCaptcha

Anita Barrios

I am surprised you don't mention Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars books here. They're a much more accessible (due to the movies corresponding so well) and an overall better introduction to iambic pentameter for younger grades (middle school).

Posted : Feb 26, 2021 03:32

Bruce Hershenson

Shakespeare is massively overrated. All his works are filled with clichés.

Posted : Feb 17, 2021 12:26

Kyle Pelletier

"Educators must ask whose stories are valued and what voices are elevated or silenced." Intersectionality's willowy little tendrils abound here and throughout. The primary error in this thinking (and this sentence, I believe, is emblematic of the fallacious logic which underpins it) is in conflation of the author with the work. As anyone who has seriously studied Shakespeare knows, the idea of Shakespeare himself is apocryphal. We do not know concretely if a monolithic Shakespeare even existed, or if he was a nom de plume of various assorted editors, poets, and playwrights. This agglomeration could have, of course, also have included monolithic-Shakespeare himself. So, I'm left scratching my head as to the raw, unbridled CONVICTION by which these educators (bless their little hearts) associate the works of Shakespeare with the little white devil they seem to have cooked up in their heads. This is, as I hinted at earlier, something of a theme with the current revisionist zeitgeist which dominates contemporary discourse. If people don't like Shakespeare, that's none of my business. I didn't enjoy him myself until I'd had a little more time to mature. I think delaying Shakespeare until later on might very well be the correct course of action. BUT, to do it for the reasons enumerated in this article rankles me for one reason above all: the separation of the author from the work. If we, after all, discarded the works of every artist because of personal impropriety, we'd have a much grimmer canon. Joyce was an alcoholic and a philanderer. Nabokov famously wrote intensively on pedophilia in Lolita. I'm sure if we worked hard enough we'd be able to find reasons to invalidate every author who ever wrote. And that, in and of itself, is fine. Castigate the author if you need to -- if the political winds are blowing in that direction and you need a bogeyman, fine. But the work is categorically NOT the author. It has absolutely no connection to the author, in fact, beyond its initial genesis. This article reads almost like an attemptive punishment of Shakespeare for the sins of not adhering sufficiently to social trends he could have never predicted. It just makes no sense. It's illogical, and the opportunity cost, whatever these educators (bless their little hearts) might say, is ignorance of one of the most significant artists in all of human history. Shakespeare's plays are the crystallized essence of the Western canon -- they aggregate everything that came before and distill them down into a series of narrative frameworks which became THE narrative frameworks. In Shakespeare is not just his stories, it's the stories of all stories that came before him and all that came after. The idea that you can really gain an appreciation of that from secondary sources is farcical, and suggests a myopic view of Shakespeare's significance on the part of the educators (bless their little hearts). One of the most beautiful things about Shakespeare's oeuvre is how atemporal they are. Romeo and Juliet don't have to be white Italians. Hamlet doesn't have to be Danish. The themes and motifs of Shakespeare's plays aren't contingent upon time or place AT ALL. They are living, breathing documents that speak to the shared humanity of our entire species. All you need to do is change some words around. This is what's so objectionable about trying to shoehorn Shakespeare into some kind of avatar of "whiteness" and "toxic masculinity." It very much implies a minimal understanding of the course material they are speaking as experts on -- all this stemming from, essentially, a political fad. Have some f'ing faith in your students. Nobody can deny that Shakespeare is difficult, but you are allowed to make students do difficult things.

Posted : Feb 17, 2021 10:08

Give Me A Break

Hi Mr. Pelletier, I do not have too much time to address this (I am one of those blessed heart educators you speak of. I actually do have to prepare my students to read Romeo and Juliet next week) Also, excuse my diction, please, as I will not be using words like agglomeration--cause again, time. First, most people know Shakespeare's work wasn't one person (especially English teachers, bless their hearts). You're not breaking new ground there. It is pretty safe to assume, though, that whoever wrote the plays and sonnets were white, male, and from England. It's also safe to assume that the person(s) responsible probably didn't travel much--cause, you know, 1600s. To think they were writing from something other than an avatar of a particular educated class of white male English life is willfully ignorant. Everyone writes from their perspective. I'm sure you're familiar with an author named Ayn Rand, right? Would you suggest we not examine her particular view of life and experiences when looking at The Fountainhead? I'd be a pretty poor educator (bless my liberal minded heart) if I did not take into account her experiences and identity. The educators (bless their tiny progressive hearts) you speak of in the article never label Shakespeare a racist (the author of the article alluded to some troubling aspects of some of his work - and yes, having a 13 year old Juliet have her life dictated to her by her father is troubling by any standard and, you're going to have to trust me on this one because you don't teach in a classroom, but this is very odd and confusing to teach to a group of young girls, even when contextualizing it. The insinuations matter. ) The educators (bless their tax-grubbing little hearts) quoted are looking to replace some of his work for, ultimately, voices that also have a high literary merit, yet speak from a different vantage point (because you actually do study the artist with their work when analyzing literature). You are creating a straw man argument when you state the "separation of the work from the artist." No one is looking to castigate the author as a terrible man. If you're angry at "cancel culture" go debate it on another forum. This is simply about having literature that better reflects our students lives--and those around them. I get that you think the stories and narrative framework to be timeless. And they are. But, is it possible to teach these timeless narrative frameworks without Shakespeare? How you believe that he encapsulates everything before him and is responsible for all great work after him is beyond my comprehension--and that of the billions of people who have never read him but still managed to lead full lives. You are assigning him an almost omniscient status that no other scholar does. The issue is that the great language, the great narrative structures, the timeless universal themes all come packaged in a white/male/Eurocentric/view--you know kind of like your missive above! Believe it or not, your writing is a product of your identity (unless you have some Black Afrofuturism novel hidden on your computer. Which, then, just delete this whole screed written by a dumb educator) There is nary a strong female character in his plays, except the wild Lady MacBeth (and strong and crazy is less admirable than strong and virtuous). No one argues his greatness and importance. But to think our ability to critically think lives and dies with ANY one man's poetry and prose is absurd. You'll have to trust me again, but educators will easily tell you that critically thinking is not the result of analyzing Shakespeare. And that, above all else, is the goal of high school. You should really ask yourself what you are defending here. But I think you already answered it when you said "western canon." The issue is America isn't really a "western canon" type of place anymore.

Posted : Feb 18, 2021 07:41 -->

It’s less to do with conflating the author and the work and more to do with juxtaposing the particular perspective which created the plays/sonnets with responses to that perspective in the intervening centuries (whilst still teaching his work anyway, by the sounds of it).

Posted : Feb 19, 2021 10:26 -->

Barbara Razza

In my house we have been and will continue reading Shakespeare

Posted : Feb 16, 2021 06:01

Chris Paige

The unspoken premise of this article (and of the anti-Bard advocates) is that literature is a mirror, which is supposed to affirm whatever you believe based upon your own experience. How tragic! How depressing! The purpose of literature is to take part in the great discussion that began with the dawn of humanity and will end when the last of us expires. To spend our time talking with ourselves (people who look like us, who have experienced what we have experienced, who are our contemporaries) is to cheat ourselves. We need to hear from people who are UNLIKE us, in part because they lived in a different time than us. The Bard is one of the most important voices ever - he changed literature and every other writer is reacting to him. We can't truly understand any of the alternative works cited if we don't know the Bard. It'd be like reading those books while not understanding English - the Bard, like English itself, is part of our common tongue. One last point: remember that journalist who didn't realize that Sen. Cruz was citing Shakespeare? Did Andrea Mitchell really READ Faulkner if she didn't know he was quoting Shakespeare? The fallacy, therefore, of minimizing the Bard is that it ignores the fact that you CAN'T truly read anything else written in English unless you understand the Bard. That's precisely why the Bard is critical to high school. They have plenty of time to read other authors once they know Bard, which is essential to understanding those other authors.

Posted : Feb 16, 2021 12:30

Ethan Smith

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

Posted 6 hours ago REPLY

Jane Fitgzgerald

Posted 6 hours ago

Michael Woodward

Continue reading.

Added To Cart

Related , 11 standout caribbean picture books of 2024, let’s talk periods: middle grade books about menstruation, social media + disability + picture books = friendship | interview, lgbtqia+ books fly in the face of bans, 17 adventure-filled transitional books to kick off summer reading | we are kid lit collective, middle grade books spotlight the partition of india, "what is this" design thinking from an lis student.

The job outlook in 2030: Librarians will be in demand

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, --> Log In

You did not sign in correctly or your account is temporarily disabled

REGISTER FREE to keep reading

If you are already a member, please log in.

Passwords must include at least 8 characters.

Your password must include at least three of these elements: lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, or special characters.

The email you entered already exists. Please reset your password to gain access to your account.

Create an account password and save time in the future. Get immediate access to:

News, opinion, features, and breaking stories

Exclusive video library and multimedia content

Full, searchable archives of more than 300,000 reviews and thousands of articles

Research reports, data analysis, white papers, and expert opinion

Passwords must include at least 8 characters. Please try your entry again.

Your password must include at least three of these elements: lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, or special characters. Please try your entry again.

Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.

No thanks. return to article, already a subscriber log in.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

Thank you for visiting.

We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS

Already a subscriber log in.

Most SLJ reviews are exclusive to subscribers.

As a subscriber, you'll receive unlimited access to all reviews dating back to 2010.

To access other site content, visit our homepage .

• Our Mission

Making Classic Literature Feel Relevant

Teachers can focus on timeless themes and connections to current events in order to help students engage with the classics.

One of the perennial challenges that English teachers face is how to make classic literature feel new. Unfortunately, many students see these book titles as old and tired. How can we teach students how to fall in love with reading and how to analyze literature to become better thinkers?

The missing element to teaching the classics is you, the teacher. You have the power to make the experience of reading these challenging pieces relevant and worthwhile for students. How are you going to approach the literature and make this approach relevant to topics that students care about?

REFRAMING CLASSIC LITERATURE

To get buy-in to classic pieces of literature, teachers must tap into the thoughts and perspectives of people at the time. When I was thinking through how to teach a piece of literature, I always started with these questions:

• Why did the author write this?  
• Who or what is this supposed to expose, challenge, or influence?

From these questions, I can see how to apply the text to current trends and themes that my students would care about. The context, the characters, and even the language may take more time to teach or interpret, but I can find a way to make this text relevant. 

Teachers may need to assist students in really understanding the story. For my struggling readers, this meant perhaps reading an abridged version with supplemental vocabulary or analyzing a synopsis to fill in our gaps in understanding of characters and plot points. Sometimes we also used movies or recorded productions to fill in those gaps. 

Two of my favorite pieces to teach to high school students are Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Sophocles’ Antigone . Here are the themes that make them feel relevant. 

BRINGING LITERATURE INTO THE PRESENT

Romeo and Juliet : William Shakespeare wrote this play to expose the repercussions of young love, relationships, and the destructiveness of hatred and holding a grudge. This play engaged what the Catholic Church considered cardinal sins (suicide, premarital relations, anger and hatred).

Here are some of the topics that can make this play relevant to students:

• Impending death: This is not simply a love story. It literally tells us in the beginning that this is a tragedy. 
• Teenage love and romance: Romeo is a ridiculous character and switches his “undying” love from Rosaline to Juliet in the blink of an eye. How would this look today? Would you trust and love someone like this? 
• Gang activity: This story is about two gangs (connected families) warring for no good reason (a perfect opportunity to incorporate current interpretations of this trope in current events or other renditions, like West Side Story ).
• Silly feuds can have serious consequences. Fleeting love can make you do dangerous things.

Antigone :  Sophocles wrote this play to challenge current issues within his society. Because these plays were put on for the masses, this gave him a public audience for his progressive thinking. Antigone exposes the question of religion versus government control, the roles of women in society, and complicated familial relationships. 

Here are ways to make this play relevant to students:

• Incest: Yes, it is there. This is always an attention grabber. I mean, this is automatic “ick” vibes. 
• Strong female lead: Antigone is going against tradition and the law to do what she believes is right. 
• Religion versus government: Antigone believes in the rule of tradition (religious customs), and her uncle Creon, the king, believes that government rule supersedes everything, including tradition. In the end, we see a lot of remorse and regret from Creon over his neglect of family and tradition. He is left with nothing.
• This mix of religion and government has serious consequences. How can we understand those today?

connection to the present

After teaching these titles, you can have students make connections to current events. For example, after Antigone , I would turn this into a current events project that would teach students how to analyze an argument and counterargument. In the play, Antigone and Creon represent two conflicting views on socially relevant topics. After we dissected the viewpoints of the characters, I asked students to find a controversial current event. They then would research both sides of the argument and come up with a final product. Some students wrote a scene for a play of their own where characters represented both sides of the argument, and other students wrote a children’s book exploring two sides of an issue. 

Our job as educators is to help our students find a voice in the world. By giving them an opportunity to explore a different era, a different place in the world, and different types of people, they learn that we all have had similar struggles, and we can learn from a variety of narratives. They can take something that they don’t see as relevant and find a way to connect and use the story to make sense of their own lives. Regardless of how restrictive your curriculum may be, you still have the power and your students still have room to become critical thinkers and citizens. 

In defense of a classical education

Listen to Jeremy Tate on the value of a classical education with the hosts of Jesuitical :

Classical education is making a comeback in America.

Over the past few decades, hundreds of new classical schools have launched in the United States, each with the traditional educational aim of not only teaching their subject material but also the cultivation of virtue. Perhaps the most substantial area of growth for this model of education has been in the homeschool arena: One homeschool organization alone, Classical Conversations, boasts a membership of well over 100,000 students.

This renaissance in classical education has not always been met with enthusiasm. For many, the mention of classical education evokes images of elitist New England boarding schools where for decades all-white graduating classes would matriculate to the Ivy League and go from there to control the levers of political and economic power. This image—classical education as a fine veneer to cover racial snobbery and entrenched power—has frequently dampened people’s enthusiasm for a 21st-century revival in classical education, or even provoked opposition to it.

It is not just a coincidence that so many civil rights activists have had a classical background.

But there is another story to tell. Visitors to Frederick Douglass’s home in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. discover a bust of Cicero in the parlor, and his autobiography includes a treatise on the influence of ancient philosophers. W. E. B. Du Bois casually drops allusions to Greek mythology and passages of medieval poetry into his discussion of the failures of Reconstruction. Anna Julia Cooper constructs her argument for Black women’s education with examples drawn from the history of classical Athens and the feminine luminaries of the Renaissance.

What is it that these bold activists saw in this tradition of culture and education to lay hold of? Were they wrong? I don’t believe they were.

It would be foolish to pretend that classical education has never been a pretext for arrogance and hypocrisy. But abandoning the tradition would still be a bad choice, even if there were nothing more to say about classical education than that. It is not just a coincidence that so many civil rights activists have had a classical background. This kind of education opens us up to the riches of our civilization, and inspires people to see both the higher values (including virtues like prudence and temperance) and possibilities of the world, and devote themselves to the hard, creative work of realizing those possibilities.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is a perfect example. In his brilliant Letter From a Birmingham City Jail , he invokes one of the great theologians of antiquity:

One may well ask, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “An unjust law is no law at all.” Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.

Next he moves on to medieval Christianity’s most influential theologian:

To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority.

Dr. King then finishes with an appeal to a more contemporary authority on ethics:

To use the words of Martin Buber, the great Jewish philosopher, segregation substitutes an “I-it” relationship for the “I-thou” relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. So segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, but it is morally wrong and sinful.

These three citations, following upon one another, show us more than just Dr. King name-dropping a few “Greats” from the canon to impress his readers. Dr. King is making an ancient and sophisticated philosophical argument, building a case for Black civil rights—and implicitly, all civil rights—grounded in his thorough understanding of these theologians.

To dismiss classic literature as “dead white guys” does a great disservice not only to the books themselves, but to young people we are trying to educate. 

This is not a man whose classical education and seminary training moved him to condone injustice and complacency from white society; nor is it a man who picked up some scraps here and there that he thought sounded good and plugged them into an irrelevant argument. This is a scholar making an argument that is rooted in and nourished by a tradition of literature, theology and philosophy stretching back to Socrates and beyond. Dr. King clearly not only understood these books, but actively engaged with them and found within them a basis for dignity and hope. These books were not the bulwark of oppression, they were sources of the very ideas, words and actions that brought oppression to its knees.

Moreover, to dismiss classic literature as “dead white guys” does a great disservice not only to the books themselves (many of whose authors, like Dr. King or St. Augustine or Mary Shelley, were not white or guys), but to young people we are trying to educate. Everyone has a right to this material. The novelist Saul Bellow once asked “Who is the Tolstoy of the Zulus?” The journalist Ralph Wiley replied, “Tolstoy is the Tolstoy of the Zulus. Unless you find a profit in fencing off universal properties of mankind into exclusive tribal ownership.” Tolstoy is not the exclusive property of Russia: He is, in the old sense of the word, catholic.

Of course, some people worry that what this means in practice is not bothering to pay attention to Zulu writers because we already have Tolstoy. I am not endorsing that. We should by all means read smart, interesting authors no matter where they come from. The “Western canon” itself is always expanding; two hundred years ago, we literally could not have assigned Jane Eyre or The Great Gatsby as coursework. But we have to start somewhere, and we have to reckon with the civilization we find ourselves in and the history it has bequeathed to us, if we seriously intend to lead intelligent and virtuous lives in it. The Western canon gives us a point of reference, no matter where we go from there.

We can do that without being naïve about the classics of Western thought either; they have their bad points as well as good ones. For example, Aristotle formulated a defense of slavery that did serious and systemic damage throughout history, particularly American history. But engaging critically with the Western tradition is itself an illustrious part of that tradition. The solution to flawed ideas is to answer them, not hide from them. What are the writings of James Baldwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Jefferson, Mary Wollstonecraft or Copernicus if not intelligent criticisms of and advancements upon what had come before them? What was Aquinas if not an intellectual revolutionary, one who himself came under scrutiny for his use of new sources from antiquity in conversation with traditional medieval philosophy and theology?

Classical education provides students with exactly the analytical tools that they need—logic, philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, history—to both grasp and critique the great books, taking both their original context and their modern significance into account.

It might be worth our while to ask if we could also, just maybe, learn something from these flawed old books. A little humility is an essential ingredient in any education; it is impossible to learn if you will not first sit still and listen. This passage by C. S. Lewis, from an introduction he composed for a very old book indeed, St. Athanasius’ On the Incarnation of the Word , sums up the attitude that perhaps each of us should have toward classical literature:

Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books... Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at them.

Jeremy Tate is the founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), a humanities-focused alternative to the SAT and ACT tests. He lives in Annapolis, Md., with his wife and six children.

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America  and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback.  You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on  Twitter or Facebook , or in one of our  Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

Most popular

Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more.

The latest from america

21st Century Skills

How a classics education prepares students for a modern world, by dana weeks     jun 19, 2018.

By Nice_Media_PRODUCTION

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.

As described in our modern mythical tale, Jurassic Park, technology may not always lead to positive outcomes if implemented without critical thought, moral ground or inquiry. From cloning to social media, it is more essential to understand the ethical implications of an idea and how it will impact people than it is to build well-designed code.

With modern challenges, such as cyber-bullying or the increasing cost of medicine, a classical education, with its focus on philosophy and inquiry, can offer students the opportunity to gain knowledge and develop innovative thought, while examining issues through a moral lens.

But how does a philosophy that has been taught for centuries stay relevant in an education age immersed with iPads and apps, and careers driven by the digital economy, automation and personalization?

The need for thoughtfulness in our technocentric world extends beyond the creation and use of new tools. Today, students are charged with shaping policy and fighting injustice, and have endless information, and misinformation, pushed to them.

A classical education provides the academic excellence and moral framework to fight this injustice. It encourages students to pursue the why, how and who of ideas and decisions in addition to the what, and helps develop young people who own their power to enrich their lives and the lives of others. Directly and indirectly, a classical education offers a deeper, lasting preparation for college, careers and living a meaningful life by encouraging its two guiding principles— wisdom and virtue .

What Exactly Is a Classical Education?

Often misunderstood as a style incompatible to the modern world, classical education is more than pencil-to-paper, memorization and reading ancient text. A philosophy rooted in the history and culture of the Western world, classical education includes both a classical approach, encouraging deep and thoughtful reading and writing within a moral frame, and classical content, such as the study of Ancient Greek and Latin literature, history, art and languages.

Today, classical education can provide a roadmap for students to learn and grow. It begins as an exploration and celebration of the human condition, sharing the history of people and culture. Over time, it serves as a platform for developing critical thinking skills by asking questions along the way. Classical education emerges as a greater awareness of the moral imperative to others and the ability to create change and opportunity in the world—even when faced with resistance and obstacles.

Wisdom is the quality of having knowledge, experience, and good judgment.

Learning how words joined our language, where people came from, who debated or fought for what and why and the role of religion, art, music, animals and food on culture helps students better understand modern subjects and challenges from science to race. Students are taught to question, perceive and interpret, recognizing patterns and identifying themes that guide their thinking. This process helps to build skills in strategic and analytical thinking that can help develop a user-friendly app, position a company for long-term financial success, solicit buy-in to pass a meaningful law or resolve a conflict with a neighbor.

Students are asked to dig deeper into the meaning and purpose of words and stories, and to raise questions about reason and relevancy. Is an ancient “triumph” the original parade? Were debates, elections and revolts in Ancient Rome similar to the political unrest of today? Religion, right to bear arms, citizenship, violence and peace were topics of conflict and protest even in 100 B.C.

Classical education also encourages hands-on discovery to better understand people and culture. Students can visit museums and historic sites; tour churches, synagogues, mosques or organizations; meet with community members; volunteer; ask questions and research; and take action if they see injustice.

Virtue is conformity of one's life and conduct to moral and ethical principles.

Equally important as wisdom, classical education also encourages thoughtful inquiry and respect. Students are urged to consider the impact their decisions will have on individuals, families, and communities, and can gain perspective from stories, history, discussions, dialogue and experiences.

In fact, ancient mythology was developed to pass down important moral lessons without being boring or dull in a narrative format that engages the mind. Plato wrote dialogues about the conflicts in the Republic; Sophocles wrote tragedies about leaders; Euripides showed strong characters in unexpected places.

Distinguishing right from wrong, thinking before you act and considering how actions impact other people—these are all classic lessons about civility that are relevant in today’s world.

Embracing technology while teaching ancient lessons

It's a bit of a modern myth to say that classical education shies away from technology, but you will not see laptops dominating the classroom either. Ancient texts are explored in books and online, and research relies on libraries and Google. Technology is explored to supplement lessons, and students are prepared to use it strategically, not just because it is the next new thing.

In the Classics department at Germantown Friends School, where I work, we use iPads to interact with Latin texts, giving students the opportunity to supplement their reading and translation with notes and vocabulary help upon the click of a mouse. In first grade, students recently studied and wrote poetry—a very classical activity. To add a modern twist, the teacher recorded students reading their works, and developed QR codes that play their recitations so family and friends could also experience this interactive project. Using technology allowed students to share their lesson with others, while also exploring a modern tool.

Adapting the definition of classical

Teaching, learning, and technology are always changing and evolving, but contrary to definition, classical education can and should advance as well. Classical education will always provide a framework for students to become critical thinkers through deep reading, writing and inquiry, but can shift in form and even in content. The next step for classical education is to explore original cultures beyond Western Civilization. Offering lessons and knowledge from historic Africa, Asia and the Middle East will make the practice even more relevant and global.

There is immense value in an education that provides historic and timely perspectives, one that will help students leave our doors understanding that their power is rooted firmly in wisdom and virtue.

Dana Weeks serves as the head of Germantown Friends School, a Quaker independent school in Philadelphia.

More from EdSurge

Digital Access

The pandemic fueled gains in digital equity. but for native tribes, it’s complicated., by daniel mollenkamp.

3 Things Educators and Edtech Suppliers Need to Talk About

By sandra decastro.

Data Privacy

This $90m education research project is banking on data privacy to drive insights, by nadia tamez-robledo.

Artificial Intelligence

Is it fair and accurate for ai to grade standardized tests.

Journalism that ignites your curiosity about education.

EdSurge is an editorially independent project of and

• Product Index
• Write for us
• Advertising

FOLLOW EDSURGE

© 2024 All Rights Reserved

News | To teach the classics, or not to teach the…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Investigative Reporting
• Environment

News | To teach the classics, or not to teach the classics? That is the question.

Getting a read on the next generation.

They’ve just finished reading Mary Shelley’s classic novel “Frankenstein,” which means Dr. Victor Frankenstein is set to be tried for reckless abandonment in the literary court of Shepherd’s classroom. After weeks of diving into case studies of human genetic experiments, discussing ethics in science and pondering whether a creator should be held accountable for his creations, the mock trial begins.

This is just one of the ways Shepherd inspires intrigue and boosts enthusiastic engagement among students studying classic literature that teenagers might otherwise find boring, outdated or dull.

Before teaching “Romeo and Juliet,” Shepherd opens class by discussing teenage love and heartbreak, finding a way to make her students see their own angsty affairs in the one Shakespeare brought to life centuries ago.

For “Lord of the Flies,” Shepherd teaches a preliminary class in which students simulate a crash landing on a deserted island. She tells them to pick a leader and dole out responsibilities – and then watches as the chaos unfolds.

“I think that classical text is definitely fading out,” says Shepherd. “But I do think it still has a place, and that a lot of these themes are more overarching – there’s a reason Shakespeare has lasted so long. These are universal themes that everybody can relate to.”

Shepherd, who teaches AP English at Hesperia High School and has full autonomy in choosing the books she uses in the classroom, is correct in saying that interest in teaching classical text is waning. Many English teachers, bibliophiles in their own right, are starting to prefer a more contemporary, diverse reading list, one they feel represents the students they’re instructing and the world they currently inhabit.

With AP classes specifically though, there’s a Catch-22: Advanced placement classes, which factor heavily when applying to competitive colleges, are taught to prepare kids for the AP test. The AP test relies on student’s being well-versed in the literary canon, much of which is not especially diverse nor contemporary.

When ninth grade teacher Jhenna Wieman is working with her English department to bring newer novels and contemporary authors into the curriculum she says, “Let’s make it somebody who’s not dead and white.”

A ninth-grade English teacher at Citrus Hill High School in Perris, Wieman says that while her district has been progressive in many ways – one of which is making ethnic studies a graduation requirement – the process of bringing new book titles into the fold can be a daunting one, met with pushback.

While ninth graders at Citrus Hill are still reading mostly classics such as “Of Mice and Men,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Romeo and Juliet,” the school’s 10th graders are able to dive into “The Hate You Give.”

“The teacher who got it on the list said, ‘You have no idea what I went through to get them to agree to teach that,’” Wieman says.

“The Hate U Give” is author Angie Thomas’ 2017 debut novel about a teenage girl who witnesses the murder of her best friend at the hands of police. It made the 2020 top 10 most challenged books list, an annual survey by the American Library Association and compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

The immediate bestseller landed on the list alongside “Of Mice and Men” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” While those classic titles were both challenged for racial slurs and what the Library Association termed “negative effects” on students, “The Hate U Give” was challenged for profanity and a perceived anti-police message.

“I’ve never been for classics, it’s like they’re being held on a pedestal, or [have] some educational value as opposed to more contemporary works,” says Wieman. “The classics don’t foster a love of reading in teenagers. That’s why we want them to read novels – to help them love reading.

“With ‘The Hate U Give,’ you have students who are saying, ‘I normally don’t like reading, and I love reading this book.’ And that’s because it’s a young adult book written for them, written not that long ago, with contemporary themes.”

Kit McConnell teaches seventh grade English at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles. One of the classes he’s taken on is an intervention class for kids who are struggling, have lower test scores, and can be disruptive in other classes. ​​

“I think that [social and political] themes are part of the author’s intention when they write a story for a young adult audience, to have them ponder big ideas in relation to the characters they create,” says McConnell.

“I read ‘Hunger Games’ with my intervention class,” he adds. “None of the guys had read very many novels in their life. We had class sets at the school. We read it, we digested it, we talked about it. They asked questions throughout the whole thing.

“And then right around the time we were wrapping up our study, the movie was being released. I figured out a way to take those kids on a field trip to Universal CityWalk. We went there on the opening Friday during the school day. As we were walking out, the kids were like, ‘Mr. McConnell, they ruined it.’ I think they walked away with that appreciation for reading an original written text, as opposed to getting all of your storytelling through visual multimedia.”

McConnell works within the Los Angeles Unified School District, where the teachers have much more autonomy in choosing the literature they teach in their courses, versus in a district such as Val Verde where teachers select titles from an approved list.

According to Lori Hunt, who has been a teacher working in the LAUSD for nearly 20 years, smaller districts seem to have a tighter grasp on curriculum. So, while Citrus Hill High School teachers are fighting for titles like “The Hate U Give,” teachers like McConnell are able to teach “Hunger Games.”

In a school district where teachers have the freedom to choose the books they teach, the students have the opportunity to read literature that more obviously reflects their own lived experiences. With classics, there’s often some translating that needs to be done when identifying parallels and themes.

“Things have changed so much in the last two years, certainly in the last 10 years in education,” says Hunt. “Any educator, any English teacher today is going to understand that – especially an urban educator. I’m going to select titles that reflect my student body. And I’m going to select titles where the protagonist is a person of color, and that have cultural experiences that my students have, so that they can see themselves in the books that I choose.”

Shelby Shepherd is still teaching the classics, but she’s found a way to address the argument for contemporary over classics by following in the footsteps of Mary E. Styslinger, who wrote the book, “Workshopping the Canon.” The idea is to pair a classic text like “Romeo and Juliet” with a contemporary young adult novel like “These Violent Delights” by Chloe Gong – a book that explores the same star-crossed lover theme.

Shepherd also has been looking at teaching “Pride and Prejudice” alongside “Pride” by Ibi Zoboi, a book with an Afro-Latino protagonist who grapples with cultural identity, class, love and gentrification in Brooklyn, New York.

When she doesn’t have a comparable title to teach in tandem with a classic text, Shepherd gets creative, whether it’s a “Frankenstein” mock trial or the bunny project.

“I give them all a piece of paper – it’s got a bunny on it,” says Shepherd when describing how she gears up to teach “Of Mice and Men.” “I have them color their bunny, name their bunny. They do activities with their bunny, they have it every day in class. I make them take their bunny to the mall, walk around the grocery store, take pictures with the bunny.

“They get really attached to this piece of paper, (BEGIN ITALICS) really (END ITALICS) attached. Then right when we start reading ‘Of Mice and Men,’ I tell them okay, now pull your bunnies out and rip them up.”

In “Of Mice and Men,” the protagonist, George, mercifully kills his friend Lennie to save him from the brutal mob killing that would have awaited him otherwise.

“They all get looks of horror on their faces, they don’t want to do it,” says Shepherd. “So, I tell them, either you rip up your bunny or I rip up your bunny. And then you see them slowly rip up their bunnies.”

• Newsroom Guidelines
• Report an Error

More in News

News | Long Beach celebrates LGBTQ community during 41st Pride Parade

National News | Biden faces Pro-Palestinian silent protest at Morehouse College graduation

World News | Helicopter carrying Iran’s hard-line president apparently crashes in foggy, mountainous region

National News | Bezos’ Blue Origin resumes space tourism with latest launch

Suggestions

What’s the Relevance of Classic Literature Today?

While some classic literature has become dated as the years have progressed — for example, “Gone With the Wind” and its portrayal of slavery and the antebellum South — there are still those works that remain ageless due their universal themes. Ideas such as tragic love, existential fears, portrayals of the afterlife and very possible dystopian futures pervade classic literature. Although the times and settings of some of these well-known books might have changed, the emotional connection readers share with these classic works remain.

Even aside from providing enjoyment, epics like “Gilgamesh” and Homer’s “Odyssey” give readers a glimpse into the past; they not only entertain with their writing style, but they offer their own interpretation of life in ancient times by showcasing how those in bygone eras lived and what they believed in and why. Not all literature will be historically accurate, but much of classic literature will at least give some insight about what life used to be like.

This leads to another purpose for some classic literature : It can capture the values from certain cultures, time periods and realities, and in the process, teach us something about our current epoch. A fine example of this is George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel, “1984,”   a classic that bleakly tells the tale of a government that depends on 24-hours surveillance, false facts and nonexistent wars in order to keep civilians in line. People are technically able to choose between this and what is truly reality, but only if they wish to lose their freedom and sanity as well.

Orwell was able to capture the idea of an all-too powerful and frightening government based on his own experiences with war and authoritarian governments in the 1930s and ’40s. For those who have read the book, chew on this: How different is the fictional character of Big Brother and real-life dictator Adolf Hitler?

Consider also that some literature remain classics due to the universality of their themes. Briefly mentioned above, readers can grasp classic literature because it contains timeless ideas applicable to anyone, regardless of age or place.

Whether it be stories that involve racial or gender discrimination (“To Kill a Mockingbird” with its themes of bigotry and injustice under the law ) , religious subjugation, shaming a person’s sexuality, policing someone’s supposed promiscuity (“The Scarlet Letter,”   a novel that also explores themes of guilt, revenge and redemption in Colonial America), mental health (“The Bell Jar,” poet Sylvia Plath’s tension-inducing and realistic semi-autobiographical novel about a college-aged woman’s struggle with depression), or just different general aspects of daily life ( “The Great Gatsby” and its themes of wanting to recapture the past), classics help readers understand contemporary issues through different points of view.

Even if some of these topics have been looked at in different ways, it is still quite intriguing to see what these issues were like during different times and what was done about them, conjuring up more than hundreds of different meanings and interpretations, making works of classic literature all the more timeless.

There are plenty of classic pieces of work out there that deserve a read, but there are also those that may have become a tad dated. The aforementioned “ Gone with the Wind “ provides a very antiquated view of slavery and the South during the American Civil War; then there are the young adult novels such as S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders and J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye,” a couple early examples of literature that explore teen angst and rebellion.

Hinton’s work did not receive much of the praise Salinger’s gained, but it is still considered a great work of fiction, perhaps only hampered by its now-outdated slang and the way women are described in the book (though any derogatory language towards them, if any, is subtle since the only thing that really sticks out is the way the protagonist describes and compares girls from the upper class and the ones from the lower class that he is more familiar with). “The Catcher in the Rye,” on the other hand, has aged more poorly with the “struggles” of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, being better described as First World Problems. It is safe to say that young adult fiction has evolved since the 1950s, with teenagers being able to catch a glimpse of characters close to their age going through more relatable problems.

Regardless, classic novels have captured topics and forms of reality for each successive generation to figure out and discuss. They each tell a story that everyone needs to hear or read. Classic literature is still relevant today because it is able to give readers certain insights by giving a glimpse into the past and sharing its input on issues that have stayed as universal and timeless as they have.

• classic literature
• The Great Gatsby
• the scarlet letter
• to kill a mockingbird

S. T. Perez, Texas A&M University, San Antonio

Writer profile, texas a&m university – san antonio english with concentration on teacher certification.

I enjoy music, old movies, and am trying to read some of the classics while finishing school. Writing has always been my passion; I will do what I can to let my ideas be known!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Posts

Plath vs. Steinbeck: Gender in Classic Literature

‘Brave New World’ Is an Eerily Familiar Dystopia

Bobbing for Compliments: The Haircut of the Fall

Modern Dystopia: The Harrowing Reality Of Big Brother

Opinion: The “Lori Harvey Effect” on The Love Lives of Women

Still Roaring: The Cultural Persistence of ‘The Great Gatsby’

Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’ Is as Relevant Today as it Was in the 1920s

It’s Time To Redefine Classic Literature

Don't miss.

Animation vs Cartoons: A Love Letter To An Unjustifiably Underappreciated Artform

The impact of listening to indigenous voices in 2024 america.

The Wonders of Weeki Wachee

‘Star Trek’: Jake Sisko’s Coming of Age Story

Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gorgeous Second Season Exacerbates Ethical Issues in Animation

Exploring Timeless Wisdom: The Enduring Relevance of Reading Classic Literature

• Author: Admin
• March 11, 2024

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, where trends come and go in the blink of an eye, it might seem like reading classic literature belongs to a bygone era. Yet, these enduring works continue to hold a significant place in the fabric of education and personal development. The question arises: Why is reading classics still relevant in the modern age? The answer lies in their timeless wisdom, deep insights into the human condition, and the unchanging nature of many societal and personal challenges they address.

Classic literature, often penned centuries ago, serves as a window into the past, offering us a glimpse into the lives, thoughts, and struggles of people from different eras. These narratives, steeped in historical contexts, provide a deeper understanding of the societies that shaped them. This historical perspective is invaluable in understanding our own time. The classics often tackle universal themes like love, war, human nature, and societal structures, themes just as pertinent today as they were when they were written. This continuity of human experience makes these stories relatable and relevant, even in our contemporary context.

Moreover, classic literature is a cornerstone of cultural literacy. By reading works like Homer's "Odyssey," Shakespeare's plays, or the novels of Jane Austen, we gain insights into different cultures, customs, and philosophies. This cultural exposure broadens our perspectives, allowing us to appreciate diversity and develop empathy. In an increasingly globalized world, such cultural understanding is more important than ever. It helps us navigate the complexities of a multicultural society and fosters a sense of global citizenship.

The language of classic literature also offers unique benefits. These texts, often rich in prose and poetry, challenge the reader with complex vocabulary and intricate sentence structures, unlike the more straightforward language typically found in contemporary literature. This linguistic complexity encourages cognitive development, improving memory, analytical skills, and even empathy. The mental effort required to understand and appreciate these works stimulates intellectual growth and encourages critical thinking, a skill invaluable in all aspects of life.

Furthermore, classic literature often deals with ethical dilemmas and moral questions that are still relevant today. By exploring these themes, readers are prompted to reflect on their own values and beliefs. This introspection is crucial for personal development and moral reasoning. Through the trials and tribulations of characters in classics, readers learn about resilience, integrity, and the complexity of human nature. These lessons are timeless and continue to provide guidance in a modern world that often grapples with similar ethical quandaries.

Another aspect that keeps classic literature relevant is its influence on modern culture. Many contemporary works of literature, film, and art draw inspiration from classic narratives and themes. By reading the classics, one gains a deeper appreciation and understanding of modern culture and media. This intertextuality enriches the experience of modern art and entertainment, revealing layers of meaning and historical context that might otherwise go unnoticed.

In addition, reading classic literature is a form of intellectual heritage. These works have shaped the thoughts and writings of countless thinkers and writers over the centuries. Engaging with these texts connects us with a broader intellectual tradition, allowing us to participate in conversations that span generations. It's like engaging in a timeless dialogue with some of the greatest minds in history. This connection to the past enriches our understanding of the present and informs our visions for the future.

Lastly, the joy and beauty of reading classics should not be understated. These works have stood the test of time not only because of their intellectual and cultural significance but also because of their ability to captivate and inspire. The storytelling, the character development, and the emotional depth found in many classic works offer a reading experience that is both enriching and enjoyable. The pleasure of reading, after all, is a timeless pursuit, and the classics provide a rich source of this pleasure.

In conclusion, the relevance of reading classic literature in the modern world is manifold. From providing historical and cultural insights to fostering cognitive and moral development, from influencing modern culture to connecting us with our intellectual heritage, the classics offer a wealth of benefits. They are not just relics of the past but living texts that continue to enlighten, challenge, and delight. In a world that is constantly changing, the timeless wisdom found in classic literature remains a constant source of knowledge and inspiration.

Unraveling Love and Betrayal: A Review of 'A Savage Betrayal' by Lynne Graham

Exploring love and loyalty: a review of 'the mafia and his angel' by lylah james, exploring love and tragedy in leo tolstoy's anna karenina: a comprehensive review, unveiling the depths of marie lu's "the legend trilogy": a comprehensive review, you may also like, discover the allure of "the russian billionaire" by georgia le carre: a thrilling romance review, discovering the depths of desire in "the secret his mistress carried" by lynne graham, top 10 historical romance novels by beth andrews: a must-read list, explore the top 10 historical romance novels by tammy andresen, effective strategies to increase your reading habits, top 10 historical romance novels by marie higgins: must-reads for romance lovers, exploring pune's rich heritage: a journey through the maratha empire, exploring the timeless charm of hanoi's historic streets, embracing elegance: discovering the magic of the bolshoi theatre, discovering sochi: a gem beyond the winter games, indira gandhi's emergency rule: a critical analysis of india's suspended democracy (1975-1977), understanding hoover's response to the great depression: a critical analysis.

General Knowledge Learning Cards

50 Bestseller Romance Novels: Part One

December 27, 2022

U.S. Visa Information

January 11, 2023

Sorry, You Can’t Actually Get The Nuclear Codes, But Did You Know They Used To Be 00000000?

How to Turn Your Old Smartphone as a Free Security Camera?

December 20, 2022

25 Most Popular Books Published in December 2022

January 19, 2023

Articles on Classic literature

Displaying all articles.

Saltburn: why you should read Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, the book that inspired the new film

Christine Berberich , University of Portsmouth

Classic literature still offers rich lessons about life in the deep blue sea

Jonathan Bate , Arizona State University

‘Nostalgic’ classics, or edgy contemporary texts? What books are kids reading in Australian schools – and does it matter?

Alex Bacalja , The University of Melbourne

5 wintry books to read during long nights

Liz Rosenberg , Binghamton University, State University of New York

Netflix’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover reduces this tale of class conflict to a simple love story

Andrew Harrison , University of Nottingham

Dangerous attractions and revolutionary sympathies: 5 Jane Austen facts revealed by music

Gillian Dooley , Flinders University

What classic literature knows about refugees fleeing persecution and war

Robert F. Barsky , Vanderbilt University

Three ways museums are making classic literature more attractive to young readers

Heather Green , Nottingham Trent University

What my students taught me about reading: old books hold new insights for the digital generation

Kate Flaherty , Australian National University

Why do teachers make us read old stories?

Elisabeth Gruner , University of Richmond

Vanity Fair: Thackeray’s classic novel may be too modern for audiences today

Jonathan Potter , Coventry University

Guide to the classics: Michel de Montaigne’s Essays

Matthew Sharpe , Deakin University

Guide to the classics: the Icelandic saga

Margaret Clunies Ross , University of Sydney

If only we could ask Euripides about refugees

Laura Swift , The Open University

Hooked on the classics: literature in the English curriculum

Stewart Riddle , University of Southern Queensland and Eileen Honan , The University of Queensland

Related Topics

• English literature
• Jane Austen
• Refugee crisis

Top contributors

Professor, School of Education, University of Southern Queensland

Lecturer in Classical Studies, The Open University

Associate Professor in Philosophy, Australian Catholic University

Senior Lecturer, School of Education, The University of Queensland

Associate Professor in English Literature, University of Nottingham

Adjunct Associate in English, Flinders University

Professor of Humanities, and Professor of Law; Guggenheim Fellow, Vanderbilt University

Eneritus Professor of English Language and Early English Literature, University of Sydney

Lecturer/Tutor, Coventry University

Professor of English, University of Richmond

Senior Lecturer (English and Drama), Australian National University

PhD Candidate, Literary Heritage, Nottingham Trent University

Professor of English, General Literature and Rhetoric, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne

Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities, Arizona State University

• X (Twitter)
• Unfollow topic Follow topic

• April 28 PPIE Run for Education - (04/28)
• May 4 May the Fourth Star Wars Day - (05/04)
• May 5 Cinco de Mayo - (05/05)

AmadorValleyToday

Modern vs classic literature: what should be taught in english class.

Nadya Carreira

Students report feeling overwhelmed by the hard to understand, old language used in classic texts.

Nadya Carreira and Soraia Bohner December 17, 2021

In 1870 America, Shakespeare was all the rage. Students went out to plays and formed secret societies devoted to reading his works.  At the time, English wasn’t taught as a subject at universities, and instead, professors focused on making the rich, white, males that attended these elitist schools into proper gentlemen. 

The student body’s excitement over Shakespeare grew, it was all they talked about, and the groups devoted to studying his work doubled, then tripled in attendance. 

They brought their personal copies to school, and soon there were more copies of Romeo and Juliet floating around the halls than textbooks at the school library, and on top of that students were pushing for these texts to be added to the curriculum. 

By around 1870, though, after a lot of disagreement, the students were successful, and for the first time, Shakespeare was officially being taught in classrooms. 

Classical literature in a modern world

We have come a long way since the 1870s, but Shakespeare’s overwhelming presence in the school’s curriculum remains. While his works and other classic texts like the Odyssey have lost support over the years , some teachers continue to insist on their importance.  

In all the years I have taken English, I can recall being captivated by these older works, but newer novels were more reflective of the state of current society.

So should we continue to teach old literature in classrooms, like generations and generations before us, or should we update the curriculum to include more modern literature? I think this is an issue that is too focused on the teachers, not the students who are trapped in a literary cage in which their voices fall upon deaf ears.

“There are a lot of things about who we are and what we are that are invisible, like how did we get here, and when you read a lot of classic literature starting with the Greeks, they were influencing the people who designed this society based on a contract called the constitution by understanding where the ideas that they knew came from, we begin to understand ourselves,” says English teacher Sean Brennan.

Many English teachers like Brennan support teaching classical books because they, in fact, influence our modern culture.

This notion comes from a belief that books that have stood the test of time are a more reliable investment of our time. Themes introduced in the time of Plato and Socrates that remain relevant years later are worth studying not only to teach us about our past but to guide us in our present and future. 

“I love teaching classic literature because they usually have universal themes, and are known for their intricate craft and structure. Many of the stories are still relevant today, and it’s exciting to watch students draw parallels,” says Julie Boe .

Modern literature in classrooms

Some, however, argue that these themes would be more effectively taught with books that weren’t as outdated and antiquated. This would allow students to empathize and relate more to the material, and subsequently, get more out of their reading. 

“I would remove the House on Mango Street because I had a student who was a Latinx student who refused to read the book because she thought it was stereotypical of Latinx people and men in particular,” says Danielle Hubbard . 

Students themselves reported having an easier time with more modern literature, finding it easier to understand and relate to, not only with the language but with the context the ideas are given. 

“Classical literature is hard to understand because it’s so far back in time, so I prefer modern literature,” says Daniel Beckley (‘23). 

I resonate with this-the language of books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime  and I’ll Give you the Sun was easy to digest. The relevance of the time period and its proximity to my own life made modern books quick reads, easing my understanding of the novels. I found that I did better on literature tests on modern books.

“I don’t think I picked up The Tempest even once. I just read the SparkNotes online because those were the only things I could understand,” says an anonymous sophomore. 

The problem lies right in front of us; the teachers have discretion in choosing what literature they teach but the students- those who are most impacted by the books- do not have a choice. Of course, seniors have a diverse list of English classes they can take, but everyone below these grades is mostly stuck with the same books. Perhaps if they chose literature that had them staying up late diving into them, then English teachers would have more engaged students.

“I absolutely believe that we need to give students relevant, current issues,” says Hubbard . 

Still, some have their reservations. Although many would agree that there is good literature being written now, whether they will still be considered good years from now is an open question, so these works remain controversial. 

“Are you investing in the thing that’s the best-written thing, or are you investing your time and your money to get those books because you have a political agenda that could change? says Brennan . 

The incorporation of newer books into the curriculum has been rocky from the start. Even the ones that got enough support to be approved disappointed many students that read them. 

“The modern literature that we read and that the teachers picked were not good. They’re kind of more boring than classic literature,” says Zoe Von Transehe (‘23).

Is there a middle ground?

So what is the solution? As of right now, teachers get to cherry-pick what books they want to teach from year to year from a small pool of approved books that rarely gets updated. Although some are part of the core curriculum, all the others you read during the year are dependent on the kind of teacher you get, because ultimately they get to choose. For students to be excited about the reading and gain something from the ideas, it is worth investing in the students and their opinions, letting them vote on the books they read and on books they want to introduce to the curriculum. It will create a generation of kids who have new ideas and thoughts instead of cycling through old ones, trying to find something new to say about The Great Gatsby . 

“I think that would be a fabulous idea,” says Hubbard . 

Your donation will support the student journalists in the AVJournalism program. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

Nadya Carreira is a junior who has many interests and is excited to pursue them in journalism class. True to her generation, Nadya loves taking pictures...

Soraia Bohner is a senior going into her first year as a journalism team member. She joined the class to express her passion for political debate and world...

• 3 PM 72 °
• 4 PM 68 °
• 5 PM 64 °
• 6 PM 60 °
• 7 PM 56 °
• 8 PM 53 °
• 9 PM 51 °
• 10 PM 49 °
• 11 PM 48 °
• 12 AM 47 °
• 1 AM 46 °
• 2 AM 45 °
• 3 AM 44 °
• 4 AM 44 °
• 5 AM 45 °
• 6 AM 47 °
• 7 AM 51 °
• 8 AM 56 °
• 9 AM 61 °
• 10 AM 65 °
• 11 AM 69 °
• 12 PM 71 °
• 1 PM 74 °
• 2 PM 75 °
• 3 PM 75 °

Summer amnesia or summer brain drain is a widespread experience everyone faces during the long and leisurely summer break. Though it is not a...

Going to a concert is an amazing experience that everyone should experience at some point. However, concerts can be dangerously loud sometimes,...

Today is our 35th AVtv of the year and we have some important announcements about reminders for seniors including seal of biliteracy, decorating...

Do protests work: French protests against pension reform

Pepsi’s rebrand reverts back to the 90’s: branding without creativity

SCOTUS will likely abandon Gonzalez v. Google — and that might be the way to go

Is Snowboarding or Skiing worth the cost?

Will electric cars replace gas cars

What should we do about the debt ceiling?

How the British are fighting Andrew Tate’s views and how we can do the same

Voting Rights in California: What can we improve on?

It’s time Title 42’s immigration policy should go

Stanford’s new list of “good” and “bad” words—is it really accurate?

Comments (3)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Craig • Jun 30, 2022 at 12:14 pm

How about no fictional literature whatsoever? It never put beans in my pot. I look back at my school days and kick myself for the time I wasted studying this stuff. For all that work, nobody ever asked to see my diploma so WTF?

Joe M • Oct 16, 2023 at 10:16 am

Craig's Mother • Oct 16, 2023 at 10:18 am

I never was satisfied with your father

• Around the Campus
• World News/Politics
• Weekly Broadcasts
• AVtv Segments
• Photo Gallery

Why Read Classic Literature?

Why read classic literature? Why is classic literature important? And how can literature help students and parents alike?

Classic literature is one of the major focuses of the Classical Conversations Challenge programs. From modern classics like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to ancient epics like The Aeneid , students will read the seminal works of Western literature through each year-long program.

However, our culture no longer values classic literature. Public schools are removing classic books from the curriculum and replacing them with contemporary books and “ student choice .” Meanwhile, institutions of higher education across the West are downsizing humanities departments, as fewer students are pursuing degrees in subjects like English, classical studies, and philosophy. And classic literature is even dismissed by some as simply “ unimportant .”

But I don’t agree with that assessment. Classic literature offers real value to readers. Here’s why.

Why Read Classic Literature: The Three E s

I apologize in advance to anyone allergic to alliteration.

There are three main reasons to read anything, classic literature or otherwise: for entertainment , education , and edification .

The classics elevate these reasons. They enchant our imagination, exercise our minds, and enlighten our souls. They’ve risen to eminence because they speak with eloquence and erudition. And, above all, they enshrine the cumulative experience of civilization.

Let’s look at those first three E s of reading in more detail, starting with entertainment .

1. You Should Read the Classics for Entertainment

Then from the moor under the misty cliffs came Grendel, he bore God’s anger. The foul foe purposed to trap with cunning one of the men in the high hall; he went under the clouds till he might see most clearly the wine-building, the gold-hall of warriors, gleaming with plates of gold. That was not the first time he had sought Hrothgar’s home; never in his life-days before or since did he find bolder heroes and hall-thanes. The creature came, bereft of joys, making his way to the building. Straightway the door, firm clasped by fire-hardened fetters, opened, when he touched it with his hands; then, pondering evil, he tore open the entry of the hall when he was enraged . . .” – Excerpt from Beowulf

Beowulf is important for many reasons. Composed sometime during the early medieval period, this epic poem offers us important insights into Anglo-Saxon culture, the transformation of England from paganism to Christianity, and the development of the English language . . .

Yawn ! That’s not why Beowulf is considered a classic. Beowulf is a classic because it’s exhilarating. (Hey, there’s another e of reading.) The poem has entertained generation after generation of readers. Students in every century have been thrilled by Beowulf’s battles against grudge-bearing Grendel, Grendel’s monstrous mother, and the death-dealing dragon.

Additionally, classics are considered masterpieces because of their artistry. The beauty of poetic verses, the intricacy of prose, or the depth of a tragic plot are sources of deep aesthetic pleasure. Also, we derive much of our entertainment from the thrill of a good challenge . Think about it: we play sports, music, video games, and so on for the sheer joy of overcoming the challenge. Why shouldn’t we read classics for the same reason? Challenging texts are fulfilling. The sense of accomplishment after finishing a tough classic is a reward in itself.

Our culture distinguishes between “classic literature” and “popular entertainment,” but in truth, classic literature is popular entertainment, elevated by a devotion to truth, beauty, and goodness. Shakespeare is one of the clearest examples of classic literature as an elevated form of entertainment; his first publication, a narrative poem called Venus and Adonis , was a bestseller, and his plays were packed with large and rowdy audiences. 1 “How Did Shakespeare Get so Popular?” Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcasts/lets-talk-shakespeare/how-did-shakespeare-get-so-popular/    And while modern theater audiences are less rowdy, Shakespeare’s plays continue to draw crowds.

Why was Shakespeare popular then? Because his works were entertaining! Why is Shakespeare popular now? Because his works are still entertaining!

Of course, classic literature is often difficult to understand, but one of the primary purposes of a classical education is to equip your student with the essential grammar needed to enjoy the classics. Beowulf will enthrall your student once your student groks the kennings of this epic poem. Shakespeare will enrapture your student once your student grasps the language of his works.

And once your student has fun reading the classics, your student will want to read more.

2. You Should Read the Classics for Education

Classic literature is education by osmosis.

Classic Literature Promotes Eloquence

In The Elements of Eloquence , Mark Forsyth makes a bold claim: “Shakespeare was not a genius.” Come again? “He was, without the distant shadow of a doubt, the most wonderful writer who ever breathed. But not a genius. No angels handed him his lines, no fairies proofread for him. Instead, he learnt techniques, he learnt tricks, and he learnt them well.” 2 Mark Forsyth, The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase (New York: Penguin Books, 2014)

Shakespeare developed his writing talent by reading talent. Those well-learned tricks and techniques? They came from familiarity with the classics. Take this line from Macbeth : “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand?/No, this my hand will rather/The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/Making the green one red.”

Shakespeare may or may not have been familiar with the name of this literary technique— adynaton , a kind of impossible hyperbole—but he was undoubtedly familiar with the idea; Jesus uses this technique in the Gospel of Matthew, saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”!

Classic Literature Promotes Language Skills

Classic literature expands our vocabulary and exposes us to eloquent expressions of language. The richness and depth of classical prose and poetry enhances the student’s appreciation for linguistic beauty.

Additionally, the dense and often complex narratives of Great Book require readers to think , and to make connections and interpret subtext. This can sharpen analytical and comprehension skills.

Furthermore, reading skills precede writing skills. There’s no shortcut to developing first-rate writing skills; thus, if you want your student to write well, your student must first read well. Also, many literary techniques, tropes, and archetypes originate from classic literature, and a reader of the classics can put these to use in their own writings.

Classic Literature Promotes Cultural Literacy

Literature also helps us navigate our culture.

The language of literature informs our daily language, the ideas of literature inform our ideas, and the structure of literature even structures our thoughts.

Classics are products of their time and place, yet they are timeless. America is not ancient Greece, yet the Iliad persists as threads through our cultural fabric. Words like Achilles’ heel and Trojan horse pervade our language, and wrathful Achilles, cunning Odysseus, and beautiful Helen endure as archetypal figures in our common imagination. So, whether you’ve read Homer’s epic poem or not, the Iliad is part of you by virtue of our shared tradition. Many contemporary books, movies, and other forms of media draw upon themes, plots, and characters from classic literature. Understanding the originals provides a richer experience when encountering modern adaptations or references.

If you want your student to understand our culture, your student must first understand the classics.

3.You Should Read the Classics for Edification

According to critic Harold Bloom, “Ultimately we read . . . to strengthen the self, and to learn its authentic interests.” 3 Harold Bloom, How to Read and Why (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001)

The Maturity of Classic Literature

Edification, or the building of one’s soul, can come from anywhere—from the words of a friend or the many slings and arrows of life—but classics in particular speak with the wisdom of “maturity,” as TS Eliot puts it. 4 S. Eliot, “What Is a Classic?” Address presented at the Virgil Society, October 16, 1944.    Classics withstand time’s weathering winds because they offer us the kind of advice, comfort, and encouragement only mature minds nurtured by mature civilizations can give.

Furthermore, the classics address moral dilemmas, challenging students to consider their own values and beliefs. These works can act as mirrors, helping us to reflect upon and understand ourselves better.

In the end, we are the company we keep. Time wasted in shallow company yields a shallow mind, while time spent in mature company produces a mature mind. Classic literature offers students the chance to spend time in the mature company of some of Western civilization’s greatest minds.

The Timeless Themes of Classic Literature

Classic literature approaches universal themes – love, betrayal, ambition, identity, morality, and existential dilemmas, among others. These topics connect students with the human experience throughout time. Classic literature provides windows into different eras, cultures, and ways of thinking, allowing students to walk in the shoes of characters from distant times and places. Engaging with characters and situations from classic literature can foster empathy by allowing students to understand and feel for people who may be different from themselves.

There’s a profound experience in reading words written hundreds or even thousands of years ago, realizing that those authors, despite the vast chasm of time, shared emotions, thoughts, and experiences similar to our own.

Why Read Classic Literature: The Great Conversation

Why study classic literature?

The classics exist in relation to each other. The classics are stones stacked high upon other stones, each one contributing to the tower of the Western canon. The classics add to an ongoing dialogue, each new generation responding to the previous generation. Our culture—indeed, our civilization—is a product of this Great Conversation. 5 Robert Maynard Hutchins, The Great Conversation: The Substance of a Liberal Education, (Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1990)

Classics have shaped the cultural, social, and political landscapes of societies for generations. By reading them, the student gains insights into the cultural and historical contexts that have influenced today’s world. The student enters into the Great Conversation, first as a listener and then as a participant.

That’s a wonderful gift for any student.

Classic literature offers a treasure trove of knowledge, wisdom, and beauty, bridging the past and the present, and allowing readers to engage in timeless conversations about the intricacies of the human experience. Whether you’re looking for entertainment, education, or edification, the classics have something to offer.

Written by:

Classical conversations, i want to start homeschooling.

A Classical Conversations team member will contact you shortly to help you learn more about enriching your child’s classical, Christian homeschool education.

• Thank You, Parents, for Homeschooling
• The Best Books of All Time (According to These Classical Conversations Leaders)

Socratic Circles: The Homeschooling Parent’s Best-Kept Secret

• Your Definitive Summer Reading Guide for 2024
• Top 6 Myths about Homeschooling
• Classical Christian Education
• Classical Conversations Programs
• Encouragement
• Homeschooling
• Impact Your Community
• International Spotlight

Join the Conversation

Community is at our core, with families doing life together as they learn.

Related Posts - Classical Christian Education

The path of homeschooling through high school can seem like a daunting mission filled with...

Copper Lodge Library: Classic Books and Literature for Your Home School

What comes to mind when you hear the words home library? Hardwood bookcases and leather...

How to Get Better at Math: 5 Tips for Parents

“I’m just not a math person.” I hear this phrase a lot and it always...

What can we help you find?

Teaching Classic Literature in Culturally Relevant Ways

• Janey Allen Dunford University of Toledo

Teaching classic literature comes with many challenges. Students today have a difficult time relating to century old texts that mostly reflect white male Euro-centric heteronormative values, yet English language arts teachers are required to teach classic literature at every grade level for high school students. This paper demonstrates how teachers can use culturally relevant teaching practices, including restory and critical literacy, to help students, particularly students of color and minorities, to engage with and create meaning from classic literature.

Aceves, T. C. & Orosco, M. J. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching (Document No. IC-2). Ceedar Center. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IC-Cult-Resp.pdf

Borsheim-Black, C., Macaluso, M., & Petrone, R. (2014). Critical literature pedagogy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(2), 123-133. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.323

Brooks, W. M., & McNair, J. C. (2015). Expanding the canon: Classic African American young adult literature. ALAN Review, 42(2), 15-23. https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v42i2.a.2

Chiariello, E. (2017). A classic debate. Literacy Today (2411-7862), 34(6), 26-29.

Connor, D. J., Bickens, S., & Bittman, F. (2009). Combining classic literature with creative teaching for essay building in an inclusive urban high school classroom. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 5(6), 1-25.

Dyches, J. (2017). Shaking off shakespeare: A white teacher, urban students, and the mediating powers of a canonical counter-curriculum. Urban Review, 49(2), 300-325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-017-0402-4

Dyches Bissonnette, J., & Glazier, J. (2016). A counterstory of one’s own. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(6), 685-694. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.486

Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003

Herold, B. (2016). Teaching Shakespeare the 21st century way. Education Week, 36(12), 17-20.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995a). But that’s just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849509543675

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995b). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465

Pike, M. A. (2003). The canon in the classroom: Students’ experiences of texts from other times. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35(3), 355-370.

Shakespeare, William. (1879). Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. (Rolfe, W., Ed.). American Book Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Shakespeare_s_Tragedy_of_Romeo_and_Julie/KoA0AAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

Youssef, L. (2010). A matter of relevance: Teaching classics in the 21st century. College Teaching, 58(1), 28-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567550903252819

• Teaching Classic Literacture in Culturally Relevant Ways

How to Cite

• Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)

Information

• For Readers
• For Authors
• For Librarians

University of Toledo Judith Herb College of Education UT Libraries

Developed By

A service of the University of Toledo Libraries

Technical Contact (Report access and other technical issues):

Arjun Sabharwal, Professor/Digital Initiatives Librarian Email: [email protected] Phone: (419) 530-4497

• Lake Norman
• Real Estate
• Newsletter Signup
• Advertising
• Story Ideas
• Become A Writer
• Other Questions

Should classic literature be taught in 21st-century schools

Although even nowadays, the value of classical literature can’t be overestimated because it is still relevant after many years. For example, while reading A Modest Proposal analysis , we can still see how some things in our society and economy haven’t changed. Even now we can see many essays on a modest proposal where students write about the problems of our society that have not been resolved after decades and are relevant even now. 

Classical literature may not be studied as often as it used to, but these books still manage to find their way into the minds of many students. Although some students are against studying classic literature, and think that this literature is useless and can’t teach them anything in nowadays society. But the others are sure that students should read classic literature because it gives a glimpse into the past and helps them understand the world around them better.

Teaching classic literature in the 21st century

 Many think that advanced technology and the internet are a threat to classics. Education is much easier now, thanks to the help of videos, websites, online courses, etc.

However, the traditional way of teaching will stay useful no matter what. 

There are still teachers in many schools and colleges worldwide that teach about classic literature and constantly assign papers or essays on those topics. However, based on student’s research, the book Catcher in the Rye is one of the most popular among students nowadays, which is interesting as it was written decades ago. There are even many free essay samples found online written by students that were inspired by the main and very prominent character of Holden Caulfield . Catcher in the rye was written by Jerome David Salinger, a popular American writer. This book holds a very important place in world literature. It is considered a classic because it is written in an accessible and conversational tone.

Although, as we mentioned before, there is a huge issue going on between modern literature vs. classical literature. Usually, young people choose to appreciate modern literature more because it is easier to understand. While the classic requires deeper dive to be able to understand it. Many papers from modern writers state that modern literature uses classic literature as a template, but many people claim that modernist literature is completely different and tries to be influential, but it is not. This disagreement will always exist. All we can say is that classic literature is full of history and knowledge, where you get to read far more than just dialogues. And suppose we forget all about classical culture and literature. In that case, we will start losing our memory and start to live in a society that is only focused on the present.

Benefits of reading classic literature for students

Reading even short summaries of these books can be challenging. However, good readers love challenging themselves with good books, and those challenges provide students with many benefits. The following are some thoughts on why we should read classic literature.

• These kinds of books usually contain provoking ethical moments. That can lead to character development. It will make you a good reader, but also some studies have shown that reading classic literature can make you a better person.
• When reading classic literature, we demonstrate gratitude towards the ones that gave us the gift of literacy.  
•   Bibliotherapy truly exists, and many say that reading these kinds of books offers a cathartic experience to the reader.
• Classic books give us a view of different cultures, different worlds, and different perspectives of history.
• Reading books with strong ideas in them is good for your mind. You benefit even if you don’t agree with those ideas because, in that way, you discover the validity and strength of your own ideas.
• It is a challenge, and challenges are good. You always feel amazing after finishing something difficult.
• At last, the books that challenge us are the ones that stay with us and reading some classical literature may end up changing your whole life perspective.

Learning, teaching, and technology are constantly evolving, but classical education should advance as well. Classical education should stay the framework for students to make them critical thinkers through reading the classical literature and writing about it. Classical literature simply provides a unique worldview and has some timeless ideas about life and the world around us. 

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Log in to leave a comment

© 2024 Charlotte Stories

• Questions/Ideas