Why Teens Dismiss Classics
I will be among the first of my generation to defend classic literature. While the majority of my class ignored the required reading and went straight to SparkNotes, I read Hawthorne and Bradbury with enthusiasm and annotated with zeal! My bookshelves are lined with novels written by authors who are mostly dead; Jane Austen novels and Edgar Allan Poe anthologies are my comfort stories. However, my passion for the “classics” is not shared by the majority of my peers. In fact, many despise them and dismiss them as “boring” and “hard-to-read”. Most teens drudge their way through required reading lists to never pick up a book written before 1980 again. But, before we can understand why they dislike them, we need to recognize what a classic is and why they are taught.
There is much debate surrounding the definition of a “classic”, but there are several points that are commonly agreed upon. For a novel or story to be considered classic, it must meet at least two of the following criteria: it must make a great contribution to a literary genre or literature as a whole, it must be well-known, and it must have survived for a long period of time. For example, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is still famous today. It was published in 1818 and created the science-fiction genre. It is possible for modern authors, like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, to write a classic, however, the majority of teenagers do not consider their works as “classics”. So, for the sake of this article, we’ll take this into account and exclusively focus on novels written before 1980.
Now that we have established what a classic is, we need to establish why they are taught. Classics are primarily taught for several key reasons:
The content is pre-vetted. Parents know what their child is going to be reading and don’t have to worry about the presence of explicit language or content within these texts.
It helps teens learn about history in an applied way. Grounding the history of certain events within the texts written by historical contemporaries provides students with invaluable accounts of how people used to live and helps them understand the significance of past events.
There is an abundance of resources available to students and teachers on these texts, including millions of in-depth analyses.
It is a known fact that studying classic literature improves one’s vocabulary and writing skills.
Classic literature is still, miraculously, culturally relevant. The works of Salinger and Shakespeare are still referenced in modern works and even common vernacular to this day.
However, despite all of the wonderful benefits that reading classics provide, many teens still aren’t interested. This begs the question - why? The answer is, unfortunately, painstakingly obvious; teens dismiss classics because classics aren’t meant for them.
The language present within most classics is outdated at best and thus difficult to read. The social structure and some of the political references present within them are so old that we don’t even understand them - that was an Aristophanes call-out. Additionally, the themes found in many classic novels can already be found in modern media. Even I’ll admit that some classics are tricky to read; for example, that one incredibly awful translation of the odyssey which my ninth-grade English teacher made us study.
It is hard to genuinely enjoy a book when you are not part of the book’s intended target audience. As an avid fiction reader, I wouldn’t enjoy an educational book on carpentry techniques as I’m not the book’s target demographic. It’s a similar situation with classic literature; a teenager in an American high school is not going to enjoy a book written for British women from the 1800s. They are not written in a language that most teenagers understand, or set in a context that teenagers can easily relate to. Ultimately, they were not written for teenagers.
If we want teens to enjoy classics, or at least consider reading them recreationally, we need to adapt them to today’s youth. As generations and languages evolve, teens will obviously dismiss these archaic stories in favor of more modern and, ultimately accessible, texts. To preserve them, we must let the stories evolve as well; and by this, I don’t suggest Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. However, an abridged version or new translation of a classic tale like The Iliad: A New Translation by Caroline Alexander is a great way to enjoy an otherwise boring book. Many classics are now being adapted into Graphic Novels, which allows those who struggle with large blocks of texts to better understand the plot, retain more information, and improve their vocabulary. Teens may dismiss classics, but, with the correct creative adjustments, classics can become more appealing and accessible to the modern reader whilst retaining their distinct charm.
Citations:
1, J. S. N., 1, B. N., 1, L. M. N., 1, M. N., 1, B. N., 1, D. G. N., … 12, J. I. N. (2015, November 2). No, the Kids Aren't Reading the Classics and Why Would They. https://whatever.scalzi.com/2015/11/01/no-the-kids-arent-reading-the-classics-and-why-would-they/.
Inc, S. 5 Reasons to Start Reading Comic Books. Scribendi. https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/reasons_to_start_reading_comic_books.en.html.
Ludden, J. (2014, May 12). Why Aren't Teens Reading Like They Used To? NPR. https://www.npr.org/2014/05/12/311111701/why-arent-teens-reading-like-they-used-to.
Price, M. (2013, January 25). OU study shows graphic novel readers retain more information versus traditional textbook users. Oklahoman.com. https://oklahoman.com/article/3748784/ou-study-shows-graphic-novel-readers-retain-more-information-versus-traditional-textbook-users.