Are classics worth reading?

During a recent class, the juniors in English teacher Amy Keys’s 11 period 3 Honors class held copies of Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” in their hands. They were engaged in a Socratic Seminar, sharing quotes from the story of 17th century Puritan life. Talk of “the Devil,” “witchcraft” and magical rituals to conjure the dead filled the room.

To many students, the classic works of literature taught in English classes seem hard to understand and frankly irrelevant, raising the question: Is reading something written decades, or even centuries, ago relevant to students in 2016?

Although the exact definition of a “classic” is debatable, literary scholars generally agree that classics are books that have survived a lengthy amount of time and have retained a universal appeal.

According to Keys, classics “speak to human experience in a universal and long-lasting way.”

In the case of “The Crucible,” English teacher Natasha Ritchie points out that the story is a historical allegory for the 1950s Red Scare, when people believed to be Communists were sought after “‘witch-hunt’ style.”

Ritchie said that both the Salem Witch Trials and the trials of the Red Scare demonstrate the constant tension between individuals and government — an issue that is still applicable today. Even from a play written 64 years ago about an event that took place 324 years ago, themes such as persecution of certain people, scapegoating because of fear and martyrdom for a cause are still “extremely relevant,” Ritchie said. “Just think about the upcoming presidential election.”

While many professionals and educators consider classics to be “timeless,” students are split on the debate. Some, like sophomore Mark Guidry, believe they should be replaced with more modern or “interesting” literature.

“Even though classics are considered valuable in literature, there are a lot of books other than the classics that would have a better message,” Guidry said.   

According to Guidry, modern novels such as “Harry Potter” and “Milk and Honey” have great morals and themes. He also believes classics shouldn’t be pushed onto students who aren’t prepared or don’t have the necessary skills to read them. Yet according to Ritchie, plenty of modern works — not just classics — are difficult to read, but “this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t read them.”

Aside from those who argue that classics like “Huckleberry Finn” still hold cultural significance and marks cultural literacy in some, many students and educators also believe “contemporary classics” like “The Kite Runner” and “The Help” may be able to better present a message relating to our modern day culture and problems.

However, when her classes are reading required classics, Ritchie said she tries to engage her students in discussions and group activities, in addition to providing current articles with the same theme, audio recordings and video clips.

One skill that Ritchie and the other English teachers focus heavily on is close reading — the ability to read with careful, sustained interpretation of a text. In this case, it is great to use difficult works like the classics, because according to sophomore Ferennie Liu, “[they] usually have deep meanings for students to analyze, strengthening their critical thinking skills.”

Aside from improving readers’ critical thinking skills, researchers in a 2013 study published in the journal “Science” found that reading classics leads to better social perception and emotional intelligence.

“Whether they have some sort of relevancy to the modern world or they convey a theme that is relevant to moral issues, classics are in curriculums for a reason,” Class of 2014 alumnus Jonathan Yang said. “Classics offer lessons that aren’t found inside a classroom or a lecture otherwise.”

For this reason, classics have been a part of high school curriculum for decades and will be well into the future.

But what if English teachers want to update their curriculum and replace an older book with a more modern one? According to Ritchie, adding even one book title costs the school district thousands of dollars, but when the English teachers] “find one that is worth it, [they] go through the process of getting the book adopted and approved.”

She said the process of adding a book to the curriculum is extensive, but it ensures that every book, including the traditional classics, are in the curriculum because their value to students. One of these newly included books is “The Kite Runner,” a book that has all the literary merits of older books but may even arguably present a more readable message because of its modern setting.

The key, according to English teachers, is that the works the classic works they teach have the ability to teach deep lessons about the human condition.

“There is a reason why ‘the classics’ became classics. Gatsby's struggles with idealism and contentment resonate with us. Hamlet's often sassy and always complex contemplations of life's struggles are still brilliant,” Ritchie said. “Each classic, in its own right, has themes about humanity that stay relevant to the critical reader.”