In high school English class, we read the same novels that our parents did, and they read the same novels that their parents did. Now, our younger siblings are reading those same books, and I’m sure our future children will as well. The Western literary canon has been invariable and unchanged since classics were declared as such, but in our ever-changing society, it is time to turn the page and revise the literary canon.
Books like “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain have paved the way for English students in the Western world for many years, with most of these books being taught in nearly every American high school nationwide. Many of us can recall writing one of our first thesis essays on one of these books. But, I’m sure for many students, especially those who don’t choose to study English in higher education, don’t remember much of what these books were about or what conversations they sparked in class.
When the same books are taught year after year, with little regard for societal differences, it is difficult to capture the attention and the passion of students who are continually being pressed to analyze works of literature that don’t appeal to the world they are currently living in.
Classics are typically defined as works of literature that have an immense impact on society and literature and can “withstand the test of time.” With that definition, it makes sense that the same novels that transcend time due to their themes that have a great impact on society are still being taught today. But, we have to ask ourselves, at what point are we teaching too much literature from the past, and not enough contemporary work?
It is undeniable that the previous works I mentioned, and many others that are considered “classics,” are well-written, poignant and contain lasting themes that can be applied today. However, that doesn’t mean these should be the only texts that are taught today. If we only focus on studying texts of the past, we will never fully understand the world we are living in today. We lose students in works of literature that they cannot completely relate to or care about.
Students want to read literature that is relatable, captivating and discusses social issues going on in their society. Shakespeare is not relatable to high school students today. Wealthy high society in the 1920s is not relatable to high school students today. Victor Frankenstein creating a necrotic creature is not relatable to high school students today.
This is not to say these works don’t have value within the classroom or that they should be completely removed from the curriculum, but we need to rework not only what our definition of a “classic” is, but our understanding of the Western literary canon within the Western classroom.
Classics don’t need to have been written decades ago to have an impact. I don’t believe that “withstanding the test of time” for works of literature needs to be a by-the-book meaning. I think if a piece of literature can impact an entire generation as a whole, rightfully, it deserves the title of “classic.” If a work can collectively change an entire generation’s perspective and spark ongoing conversation that can be continually analyzed, it has succeeded in doing what I believe a classic needs to do — have an immense societal impact.
An example of this is the beloved series, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. With five books in the series, these works have sparked generational conversation about the government, protest, human rights, war and much more. Not only are these books relatable to teenagers with the protagonist being a teenager herself, but they can also be applied to today’s societal concerns that young adults want to change themselves.
Young readers can see the type of impact they can have on an unjust government, they can understand how certain decisions made at a governmental level can have lethal trickle-down effects, and this can all be done in a way that is digestible and entertaining. Adding contemporary novels to the canon doesn’t mean getting rid of the important and meaningful conversations that can take place with the traditional classics; it means allowing ourselves to recognize that literary merit isn’t black and white, and neither should our reading lists be.
The canon and the curriculum need balance. We need to begin adding contemporary literature to our list of classics, and we need to alter high school curricula to include literature that students can be passionate about and see themselves within. The more we force students to try and care about “Hamlet,” the more students won’t realize that an entire world of literature exists that they can understand and connect with.
