Literature gives insight into the most pressing discussions and ideas ever written. Writers like Jane Austen and J.D. Salinger think of ideas both increasingly more devastating and thoughtfully remarkable, that most people don’t even think about until they read these novels. Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain bring thought-provoking stories that interpret human spirit and modest insanity into usable written words. These words are then printed on paper, bundled and shipped until they end up on consumers’ shelves. These novels stand the test of time.
Most written in the late 1890s to the early 1900s, these novels fuel modern ideas and create increasingly more advanced stories. Throughout the years, new authors have showcased their talents and produced immensely popular novels with new ideas. But when people think about classic literature, they think of the early writings of Hemingway, Steinbeck and Dickens. These authors have forever shaped the way people think, and they have also shaped the way the world is seen.
Therefore, literature should become a priority in schools, although STEM topics are more popular. Literature provides people with written works that help them understand reality, as well as show the important issues of the past.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” Throughout history, literature has been seen as a way to escape reality, but it can also bring people closer to understanding it. Sometimes reality can be worrisome, but these novels can help readers understand that worrisome things have been happening throughout history since the beginning of written word. Seeing how the characters react to things within a novel can sometimes even help people with their own struggles.
This important topic should be taught in schools so that people can understand the world they live in. Unfortunately, not everyone has been taught the skills required to understand this literature. As of 2022, 21 percent of adults are illiterate in the United States, and 130 million can’t read a simple story to their children. Thus, schools should prioritize these skills so that adults can go home and read to their children, read their tax returns, apply for jobs, and teach their children these same skills. The resources also aren’t always available at home, and that shouldn’t stop these kids from learning. Students should receive those resources at school, especially if families with low income can’t afford to buy what’s needed to teach their kids how to read. It shouldn’t be on the parents alone, but the schools as well, so that children can get the best education possible.
People should be able to read this literature and learn from it to further understand issues not only in present-day society, but in the past as well. It needs to be taken more seriously within education. STEM topics have been prioritized, and it is time for literature to rejoin the important topics within education.
