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Madison Shugars

Mrs. Cramer

College Composition I Honors Period 6

17 November 2017

Why Classics Are the Wrong Way to Go

Take a book from over 150 years ago, most people would think it has gotten lost over

time, but when considering Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, it is the complete opposite.

The Dickens’ novel continues to be taught year after year in high school English classrooms

around the country. Millions of people consider this book a classic and the themes timeless.

Literature has been a critical part of education and cultures of all kind since the beginning of

time, but in recent years electronics (phones, game systems, etc.) have surpassed the popularity

of books. The goal of teachers and education directors has become to encourage reading because

of the benefits it has: “Reading is a springboard for vocabulary and analytical skills, as well as

thinking and public speaking...” (Nina Wolff). Although classics have been used for years to

teach certain techniques and themes, teachers have been using new technology, new programs,

and contemporary novels to further encourage reading in young adults and high schoolers.

Technology is advancing more quickly as time goes on and it is inevitable that it will start

to leak into classrooms, and experts have started to take advantage of this technology o promote

both stories and storytelling. Kieron Monks, for CNN reports:

Fiction may still be escaping and experimentation stage, but enhanced literature has had great
success in education and nonfiction. Theodore Gray’s The Elements, a visual guide to chemistry
on tablets, has generated hundreds of thousands of sales.
Using all the beneficial techniques from literature and all the beneficial components of gaming

into one insightful, storytelling platform. The “rich, meaningful characters” and “deep and

intricate atmosphere” of literature are combined with the interactive choice adaptation, the
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customizable plot, and the audio and video of video games have come together when making this

platform to create a story that audiences of all ages can understand better. Giving users a chance

to change or have a say in how the story plays out, introduces a new and exciting concept that

will appeal to a whole new type of “reader” and bring together gamers and bookworms of all

kinds.

The British startup’s latest experiment is 80 Days, and iPad adaptation of Jules Verne’s
classic voyage. The user plays the assistant of the explorer Phileas Fogg, and crafts their own
journey of romance and murder around a world with thousands of possible permutations based
on the decisions they take. The central narrative, written by Meg Jayanth, is a steampunk remix
of Verne’s novel, broken into thousands of individual passages that recur throughout the
experience. (Kieron Monks, for CNN)
Inkle Studios has taken these steps to create “80 Days”. Jon Gold, Inkle’s creative director,

explains how the aspects and specific characteristics of “80 Days” let the player feel more

engaged and involved with the story so they can further comprehend the storyline. These

“enhanced literature” games have appealed to newer generation of people because of the updated

tactics using the technology people are used to and are comfortable with. Schools all over are

picking up the trend and are trying to revive their depleting supply of readers with new and

improved reading policies and programs.

It’s clear that as time goes on, reading is becoming less and less popular, among younger

people especially, as technology and electronics are on the rise. The goal of schools is to

reintroduce reading as a fun, exciting activity. Some schools, for example, are trying to establish

summer reading programs, along with some required reading programs. "The English Language

Arts curriculum standards revised by the New York State Department of Education in 1998,

require all students in grades 7 through 12 to read a minimum of 25 books a year." (Joy Alter

Hubel, The New York Times) School officials are making this requirement tp try to get their

students to read more. While it may not be the smartest, or best, approach in getting students to
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enjoy reading, but it accomplishes the reading aspect well. "At William Floyd High School in

Mastic Beach, the library set up the summer reading program, which is voluntary, not assigned."

(Joy Alter Hubel, The New York Times) Making a summer program that is not required, will

appeal to more kids because it's not forced and it will give kids who enjoy reading more of a

chance to celebrate that.

Along with these programs, new contemporary books are being added to libraries and

the programs to appeal to the ages of the kids so they want to read. Most people in today's

literature world do not value contemporary novels nearly as much as the classics, but as time

advances, so do the lessons that young adults should be learning. "We are shifting into an era

where many people do not want their children exposed to the harsh realities of life that are often

highlighted in modern contemporary works, but would prefer them to read the more classic

works that followed a stricter guideline of appropriateness, before the time of sex on television

and dismemberment in movies." (Kurt, YoExpert Q&A) Parents tend to care a great deal about

what their children are being exposed to in school, but sometimes the things that are considered

sensitive, end up being the most rewarding lessons. For instance, Between Shades of Gray by

Ruta Sepetys, discussed in "Teaching Controversial Young Adult Literature with the Common

Core", shows the story of a family being forced in the gulags in Russia during WWII. It's honest

and raw, but it shows the struggle of the people of that time. Now consider 13 Reasons Why by

Jay Asher, also discussed in "Teaching Controversial....". "Not only is suicide the third leading

reason of teen death in the 21st century..." (Wisconsin English Journal, volume 55 number 1, 42)

Although it's horrible, suicide is definitely a more prevalent topic in today's society. Books like

13 Reasons Why, give some insight into how to deal with suicide and how to notice the signs of

depression. The fact that the main characters are young high school students makes them more
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relatable and real. These new contemporary novels are showing children serious topics and how

deal with them if they present themselves in day to day life.

Between new technology, new reading programs, and introducing contemporary novels

into the school systems, teachers and other officials/experts are trying new and improved tactics

to promote reading and encourage it as an outside of school activity. Experts have begun to use

games as a new platform for storytelling by making games with the opportunity to decide how

the story plays out. Schools around the country have introduced reading programs, both summer

and required, to hopefully expose students to reading more frequently. To encourage the reading

programs, schools have also thrown in more contemporary novels that the students can relate to

and that will teach them valuable, real life lessons. While classics can provide students with

insight into certain, small aspects of life, these new advancements relate more to the new

generation and allow them to access literature in a form they are more comfortable with.
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Works Cited

Hubel, Joy Alter. "Tempting Students Away From Screens." New York Times, 23 June

2002, p. 11. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Rybakova, Piotrowski, Harper. "Teaching Controversial Young Adult Literature with the

Common Core." Wisconsin English Journal, Spring 2013, volume 5 number 1.

"Superbooks: High-tech reading puts you inside the story." CNN Wire, 10 Sept. 2014.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.

"Why is popular contemporary literature valued less than classic literature?" YoExpert

Q&A