Expose Them To Literature And Let Time Take Its Course

There seems to be a preoccupation these days with perceived inadequacies in the way we are teaching our children.

A recent letter to the editor voiced one such perception. It was written by an area English teacher who is concerned about teenage rebellion against reading books - more specifically, the lack of appreciation for “good” literature, presumably the classics: Shakespeare, Conrad, Melville, etc.

Many kids, the letter reports, insist they find books to be stupid, irrelevant and boring. Some of these kids even seemed proud about never having read an entire book.

Does this sound familiar? It should.

These complaints have been around for a long time. I know. I may have uttered similar words 30 years ago, when my presence graced the halls of then newly constructed Ferris High School in Spokane. I wasn’t enamored of the prospect of working my way through “Hamlet” or struggling with the meaning carefully hidden away in the storyline of “The Old Man and the Sea.” Few kids, then or now, openly embrace the challenge of dissecting the works of difficult writers.

If we could harness the energy wasted worrying about what our teenagers find wrong with what we find right, we could power the lights in all their classrooms.

My attempts to read entire books at that age were hampered by a body that thought it was a Mexican jumping bean. It was hard for me to sit still long enough to finish whole books. I was then, and am now, a very slow reader.

Predictably, I minimized these shortcomings with my friends. Like all the other kids, I wanted to feel good about myself. Rather than admit my incompetence, I scoffed at the importance of reading books. Because I didn’t read them, I wasn’t aware of the fun I was missing. But then, the time wasn’t right for me yet.

Student criticism of having to read the classics also sounds familiar. However, I wonder if the kids don’t have a point. For perspective, let’s try a pop quiz.

Question 1: When was the last time you read any Shakespeare for enjoyment?

Question 2: Describe at length the inspiration you experienced the last time you perused a Joseph Conrad short story.

Question 3: Reminisce at length about the symbolism of Melville.

OK, so a few of you aced the quiz. Most of you will be joining me at the back of the class. Don’t worry, we’ll be in good company.

My thesis is that the twin ax murderers of adolescent enjoyment of book reading are archaic language and excessive intellectualization. It’s a tribute to the power of the broader range of books that the love of reading usually survives excessive exposure to the classics.

Having said that, let me hedge. We should not eliminate Shakespeare, Conrad and other classics from the curriculum altogether. Kids should be exposed to these difficult authors. But sparingly, like a dash of an exotic seasoning. Some kids will develop a taste for the seasoning right away. Some will acquire the taste later in life when they revisit the literature they struggled with in school. The majority who will never learn to enjoy the taste of the exotic spice will still better off for having been exposed to it.

Let’s not beat ourselves up just because kids resist our overtures for appreciating the great works of literature or if the fruits of our labors aren’t instantly apparent. Teachers and other adults should see their job as one of planting the seeds of success and fulfillment in kids. If those seeds lie dormant for a while, that’s no reason to lose faith in their potential, no reason to demean ourselves or our schools.

We need to be realistic about what a desirable outcome looks like. The fact is that most adults who read for enjoyment are more likely to have Grisham and Wouk, Wallace and Wambaugh on their bookshelves than the classics. (They may also have the classics, but chances are those copies won’t be well worn). And even if it’s Harlequin romances we choose to curl up with, the important point is that the books we read add joy and depth to our lives.

Let me respectfully suggest to the teachers of English that you include contemporary, non-classic literature in your curriculum. Without fear or apology. I learned more about World War II from reading “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance” by Herman Wouk and “A Man Called Intrepid” by William Stevenson than I did in any of my history classes. Similarly, I gained my greatest understanding and appreciation of the civil rights movement from reading “Five Smooth Stones” by Ann Fairbairn. Best of all, I enjoyed thoroughly the time spent reading these books.

I’m 47 now and my house is filled with books. I rarely go shopping in Spokane without buying an armful of used books. I have at least one book going at all times. To those who fretted over my high school habits and protestations, that may seem like a miracle. But it’s no more a miracle than the beautiful flower that emerges from the seed buried just under surface of the dirt.

xxxx