By Zoe Walinsky (8th grade)

There are 3 types of people when it comes to reading: the avid readers who are rarely caught without a book in their hands, the people who only read when they have to, and the people that will avoid reading at all costs. At first glance these three people may seem vastly different, but when you further dive into the preferences you’ll likely find one similarity: a distaste for classical literature.

Classical literature may contain difficult to understand writing styles, complex historical settings unlike current society, tough symbolisms, and detailed narrative structures. According to Iris Reading, “As language evolves, the style and structure change, word meaning transforms, and some words fall in and out of style.” Some students might find it difficult to comprehend this ancient unrecognizable language. Shakespeare is a great example of the evolution of English in particular, Shakespearean English is difficult to read given the weird spellings and use of apostrophes. Shakespeare was also a heavy user of figurative language, this fact alone could deter many readers due to the tough nature of deciphering such language. Take the sentence, ‘where are you going today?’ this simple phrase is translated into a much more complex ‘whither art thee going the present day?’ Now imagine reading an entire play with language like this.

Mr. Rothstein, an 8th grade ELA teacher in our school states, “There is no relatability between the characters and the students,” students aren’t able to establish the connection between themselves and characters because of the difference in experiences and time periods. Few students have the experience of working at the age of nine like Oliver Twist or being stuck in a lifeboat for nearly 3 months while being attacked by a whale like Moby Dick.

Another thing that could confuse students is sentence structure. 19th century literature tended to favor longer, more illustrative sentences than what is seen in modern day books. Some students will see this little challenge as an obstacle that makes them unable to read classical literature. This isn’t to say though, that pushing past this minor inconvenience for the sake of learning and expanding vocabulary isn’t possible.

Mr. Hankins an 8th grade history teacher states, “There’s a catch, you can’t allow 21st century norms to affect your perception of the classics. You shouldn’t get caught up on the representation or treatment of certain people.” You should allow yourself to truly enjoy the story.

All of the setbacks classical literature poses are small enough to push past.

There are also many positives to opening yourself to classical literature. Classics often invoke deep topics that require the reader to look inside themselves for these deep ethical questions. A study published by the New York Times shows how people that are exposed to these topics are more well-rounding, and overall just better people in general. Peoples empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence were all increased by reading literary fiction.

Mr. Hankins also states, “Reading classical literature is important for understanding the context of the culture of the time period. If you read something from Jane Austin you could get a sense of what it was like to live in that social economic setting, and Les Miserables shows what inspired a revolution in the low class of France. Classical literature is important for understanding and widening vocabulary. Classical literature has stems that have been watered down from slang. English has been impacted by different cultures that wash away the Roman influence of the language. It’s important to keep the Romance roots alive for as long as possible, and the best way to do this is through classical literature”

Classical literature is just that, classic. Mrs. Carpenter our librarian explained that, “it’s classic for a reason, themes that connect with people for a reason.” True classical themes remain just as relevant today as they were in the era the book was written. Mrs. Carpenter goes back to explain, “It (classical literature) is a challenge if you don’t ever get challenged you never change.” Reading classical literature helps you grow as a reader expanding your horizons and strengthening your reading level. When you overcome a challenge you feel good about yourself and it increases your serotonin, the
same is true with reading a difficult and complex book.

The same way overcoming a challenge increases serotonin, not understanding certain allusions made in other texts can decreases serotonin levels. Mrs. Slattery an 8th grade ELA teacher voices, “It (classical literature) is often alluded to in everyday life and you might miss a lot of phrases. Some things are just nice to know party phrases, but others can be seriously helpful. Some people will miss things and will never admit to not knowing these phrases,” but with classical literature you could be in the know with all the classical topics alluded to in everyday life.

Although classical literature may be hard to read and understand, true classics should have timeless themes that retain their meaning throughout the decades. Classical literature helps with empathy, boosts reading level, allows you to understand allusions, and helps expand the horizons of readers.

With all of these benefits in mind, does it really seem like that much effort to push past the old English and different time periods that stand between you and a timeless story?