Classic texts

There are specific historical and social circumstances that make any particular
generation value a text as a classic, such as the works of Dr Seuss and the
novels, The Wind in the Willows and To Kill a Mockingbird. Many of these texts
can be made relevant to contemporary concerns. For instance, the aspects of
racism raised in To Kill a Mockingbird are still as urgent as when the book was
written in the early 60s.
Modern classics such as Robert C O’Brien’s Z for Zachariah and Mrs Frisby and
the Rats of Nimh, Michelle Magorian’s Goodnight Mr Tom, Katherine Paterson’s
Bridge to Terabithia, Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins, Theodore Taylor’s
The Cay, Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy and Ruth Park’s Playing Beatie Bow have found
willing audiences in many classrooms. The brevity of some of the classic short
stories makes them particularly accessible to students and includes the short
stories of Anton Chekhov, Guy de Maupassant, W Somerset Maugham, O Henry,
Edgar Allan Poe, Katherine Mansfield and Ray Bradbury. The long short story, or
novella form, as practised by John Steinbeck, could also be considered.

Development of Imagination /Understanding/Empathy Reverse

 Stories help to develop a child’s imagination by introducing new ideas into

their world – ideas about fantastical worlds, other planets, different points
in time and invented characters. It’ll encourage the children to realise that
they can, and should, imagine anything they want. The beauty of stories is
that they can be super realistic or incredibly fantastical. They can be
reading about children growing up in exactly the same situation as them
one minute and about another species, Martians holidaying on Jupiter for
example, the next.

 A single minority character isn’t enough to create quality diverse

literature, but it is a first step. And while there are some useful websites
that recommend diverse children’s books and even literary awards
dedicated to promoting such works,

 They are an excellent way to improve your own writing, and to discover
new vocabulary and sentence variations. In learning the language, you
can also learn about history; these books give an engaging and unusual
insight into Victorian Britain and the kind of society which existed then,
particularly its attitude to women and other cultures.

10 Reasons You Should be Reading the Classics

1. You’ll increase your vocabulary. Whether you want to impress your in-
laws, boost your SAT scores, or deliver more effective presentations at work, it’s
worth familiarizing yourself with words that instantly reflect your
intelligence. Reading the Greek and Latin Classics, in particular, will develop your
personal word bank, since many English words have roots in these two
languages. English has made a habit of widespread borrowing, but over 60% of
English words are derived from Greek and Latin alone.

2. While you’re at it, you’ll also improve your social skills. A 2013
study showed that reading the classics, in contrast with commercial fiction and
even non-fiction, leads to better social perception and emotional intelligence.
Character-driven novels can even strengthen your personal ethics, if you’re in
the market for that sort of thing. Just make sure you’re clear on the distinction
between the good guys and the bad guys.

3. You’ll be reading something of value. The classics, and their typically

universal themes, have stood the test of time; these are books in which we still
find characters, experiences, emotions, and perspectives relevant today. Often
an individual classic is the iconic work within a literary movement or the period
in which the book was written. Usually, they are also somewhat challenging, so
these are books you’ll be proud to be seen tackling. There will be no need to hide
behind the anonymity of your e-reader in cafes or on public transportation. Will
you like them all? Probably not. But the classics span every major literary genre,
from fantasy (Lord of the Rings) to science fiction (Brave New World) to romance
(Sense and Sensibility) and even children’s (Charlotte’s Web), so you’re bound to
find something appealing.
4. Literary references won’t go straight over your head. You’ll be a
walking encyclopedia of major cultural references, cited at the original source.
Media, entertainment, and everyday social allusions to concepts and characters
such as “Big Brother” (1984), Frankenstein’s monster (Frankenstein), Oedipus
(Oedipus the King), and existentialism (The Stranger, among others) abound.
And it’s common knowledge that hundreds of popular words and

expressions come straight out of Shakespeare.

5. You can “reward” yourself with the film version when you’re finished
reading. Almost every classic has been made (and remade, and remade) into a
movie, from Gone With the Wind to On the Road to The Great Gatsby and To Kill
a Mockingbird. Some film versions of the classics earned excellent reviews in
their own right, but you’ll be informed enough to say whether the book was
better. It probably is. Still, it’s always intriguing to see these unfailingly rich and
penetrating stories brought to life on the big screen.

6. The classics provide an opportunity to understand history and

culture in context. In his 1970 Nobel Lecture in Literature, Aleksandr
Solzhenitsyn said that

The only substitute for an experience we ourselves have never lived through is
art, literature. They possess a wonderful ability: beyond distinctions of language,
custom, social structure, they can convey the life experience of one whole nation
to another… Literature conveys irrefutable condensed experience… from
generation to generation. Thus it becomes the living memory of the nation.
Great works of literature mark every period of modern history and offer a more
personal, accessible perspective on historical events and philosophies than most
textbooks. Even literary classics that had little initial success, and books that
have routinely been banned by conservative communities, went on to have “a
profound effect on American life” according to the Library of Congress. The same
goes, of course, for classics in other countries and languages.

7. They will enrich you in ways you didn’t expect. Claire Needell Hollander,
a middle school English teacher in Manhattan, discovered that her most
disadvantaged students connected best with the tales of hardship, loss, and the
tyranny of fate found so often in classic novels. Reading the classics can even
be a form of therapy: a Liverpool University study showed that poetic language,
in particular, stimulates the part of the brain linked to “autobiographical
memory” and emotion. This type of brain activity leads readers to reflect on
their own experiences in response to what they have read. As Professor Arnold
Weinstein so thoughtfully describes,

Classic novels are restless creatures, trying out new forms of expression,
challenging our views on how a culture might be understood and how a life
might be packaged. What is the shape of experience? How would you represent
your own? These books help us toward a deeper understanding of our own
estate.

8. The classics challenge the brain… in a good way. Linguistic functions

used by Shakespeare have been demonstrated to stretch the brain, and
researchers believe that a thorough reading of Jane Austen is associated with a
level of cognitive complexity beyond that involved in solving a difficult math
problem. In the era of reality TV and Buzzfeed, we may need challenging
entertainment material more than ever. Best of all, many classics are free to
own. And don’t forget about the library, that frail ancestor to the Internet.

9. Knowledge is power. IQ is the best predictor for job performance,

educational attainment, income, health, and longevity—and reading is still
considered the best way to improve intelligence. While you’re at it, why not read
the classics? By studying the works of the greatest literary minds in human
history, we simultaneously build our knowledge of the world one book at a time
and—crucially—learn to think for ourselves. As blogger Jamie Littlefield puts it,
“Let a little genius rub off on you.” And, I would add, let it inspire you. Create a
masterpiece out of your job, your family, your art, your life. Use your knowledge
as a trump card—a life hack. And above all, use it to foster a free and
independent intellect, because the only person who can ever change (or
improve) your mind is you.

10. Literature, along with (arguably) all forms of art, is a distinctly

human legacy. It is by definition an exploration of our own humanity, one of our
most important tools of communication, and a force that creates, shapes and
reflects our culture. From within this cumulative library of our species’ physical,
rational, and spiritual achievements—this magnifying glass on human nature we
call literature—we can choose books that startle us from complacency, haunt us
and permeate us, sharpen us and embroider our innermost details. The written
word is a gift we’ve given ourselves, and not one we should take for granted.