Do the books students read in the English curriculum need updating? English classes across America have established books such as Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, and The Great Gatsby. But should teachers update these noted books to more contemporary literature? I think the reading curriculum should be a balanced mix of classical literature and recent books. This literary blend would be the most beneficial to students as it’d simultaneously offer a window into irreverent stories and historic perspectives, while also giving students insight into more modern narratives that address current issues and developments. These upsides slotted to both classics and contemporary literature respectively would give students the best opportunity to broaden their minds and expand their knowledge.
Classic literature, the older works that you read in class like the aforementioned examples, provide comprehension into tales that have endured the test of time and have a great deal of influence. Classical works will challenge students with their outdated vocabulary and grammar, and it’ll provide them awareness of the inspiration the classic had on other literature and in the culture as a whole. Reading Frankenstein in class was really cool primarily because I finally understood all the references to it. Classic novels that are still studied have deservingly cemented themselves as talked about pieces, and students will benefit by reading them. It will give them a greater grasp on “harder” works, it’ll give them greater historical context, and it’ll provide them with these characters and narratives that are timeless and universal even decades upon decades after it was written. But only making students read classics can quickly become as detrimental as it may be beneficial. Many students don’t like reading classics and it may ward them off reading altogether, and while classics may be irrelevant, lots of them contain outdated and offensive material in them, which may demoralize students, which is an issue more contemporary literature won’t have to deal with.
Contemporary books are more enticing for students to read, they are easier to read as a whole and tackle more updated issues. The authors and characters of modern books are more diverse and have a deeper connection to students’ personal lives and problems. They’re also more engaging and relatable to students with themes and topics that are more present. So modern books will attract and be much more inclusive to students of today, and with the easier communication demonstrated in contemporary literature, it’s more rewarding to students and it might enable them to get into reading and analyzing the book as a whole. While current books offer a range of positives to students, the difficulty and universality presented in classics will also be very worthwhile to students and their education.
The joint combination of both classics and modern literature will have the greatest impact on students. They will improve their comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking when it comes to classics, and they’ll relate better and be more encouraged by contemporary works. These positives reserved to each genre will give students the most gratifying and stimulating experience in relation to their English curriculum, and will have them leave school with the most rounded and empathetic mindset surrounding reading and books in general.
