[Henry] 1

Mikayla Henry

Mrs. Cramer

P.D 5a

3, November, 2017

All Literature is Important!

Young adult literature is more important than people give credit for. It has real world

problems that grab younger generations attention. They are the ones that are in charge of the

future and the more they know, the better. Being sheltered from life's tough reality won't benefit

anyone. In classrooms today, students are still reading the classics their parents and grandparents

read about, rather than newer classics or popular literature in today's society. Several changes

have been made to how the world is viewed, so why suppress great authors works when they

could be part of the change? Although American classics will always have value, and

importance, the time will come when new classics rise from a new era, and young adult literature

should be a part of it.

Classics will always be classics for the heart wrenching stories of love, loss, lust, passion,

and betrayal through the use of symbolism and the deep messages hidden with each piece. It is

creative, dramatic, and tells the darkest truths. Classics that come to mind are of Shakespearian

times or of Dickens, and as time goes on, more are finding the language hard to understand,

therefore missing the beauty of literary arts. When schools teach the classics, they look for

symbolism and literary analysis, due to the fact that they are full of it, but don't teach students the

language itself. Classics have a bad name to kids for this exact reason. They don't want to read
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something that is "dull," or "boring" even, because they can't relate to the language, so it doesn't

register what the story is trying to say.

In order for a classic to become a classic, it goes through a process similar to a scientific

theory. There have been ample studies, research, and writings done on nearly every single classic

novel, poem, or short story, all of which weighs to the importance, as well as meaning.

(Kurt, Par 1) Classrooms benefit from the writing styles of dark romances, Ray Bradbury, or

Sonia Sanchez more than those of, say, Stephanie Meyer. The literary importance is mostly

determined by the application to the academic world, however, it is not the only criteria. (Kurt,

Par 1) In today's world, English isn't viewed the same way as it used to be. Books used to be read

frequently, and literature and writing were two content areas of great importance. (Kurt, par 2)

Sadly, authors didn't become famous until they were long gone, due to the lack of ability to

spread the works across the world. Today, this is different, and books are distributed at the click

of a mouse. In addition, teachers are making it their goal to bring the excitement back into

reading and have a mix of both classics and popular young adult literature.

Across the country, school districts are assigning summer reading lists in attempt to make

reading a favorite past time, along with video-games and television. Revised in 1998, the New

York State Department of Education requires students from grades seven through twelve to read

a minimum of twenty-five books a year. (Hubel, 2002) There is no doubt students don’t read

twenty-five books a year, whether they have to read books in school or not. As a way to make it

more interesting, the reading lists are adding variations from Harry Potter to Jane Eyre. It gives

students the option to choose, but have good choices. In addition, reading books that students are

interested in help with vocabulary, analytical skills, public speaking, and college applications.

(Hubel 2002) Other people making the effort of boosting the status of literature is the company,
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Inkle Studios. They came up with the idea of interactive stories, a way to be involved with the

story online, taken from gaming. Jon Ingold, Inkle's Creative Director, says, "The heart of the

concept is that we put player choice into books." The idea is intriguing, but it seems as though

the theme and overall message would be changed, and if the author saw someone "defacing" his

or her book like that, he/she would be insulted. However, the idea can help readers empathize,

relate, and solve their own problems.

The reason many teens find themselves liking popular contemporary literature more is

because they see themselves in the characters, it is easier to understand, and it engages them in

real life problems. Sure, classics do the same, but the layout is much different. Though young

adult literature is seen as not having the same literal merit as classics, they have relatively the

same content, it is just generated towards the younger audiences. They teach about love, suicide,

depression, anger, divorce, etc. Parents aren't comfortable with their children reading about these

topics, but want them reading classics which are filled with those topics. Sheltering children

from the harsh realities life throws their way isn't going to do them any good. If anything,

sheltered children go through situations much worse because they don't know what to expect.

Young adult literature shouldn't be put down and kept from learning about in classes. They are in

school libraries, so why not teach them? Educators looking to help struggling readers turn to

young adult literature because it catches their attention and interests them. (Rybakova Par. 5)

"Not only is the definition of reading changing, but the reader of the 21st century has evolved."

American classics will always have value, and importance, but the time will come when

new classics rise from a new era, and young adult literature should be a part of it. Although

popular contemporary literature is viewed as invaluable, they have just as much to them as

classics. They teach social topics, and get students excited about reading. Controlling what
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students read will only turn them away from the idea more. English is important and shouldn't be

a topic that is shamed for wanting to pursue a career in and definitely shouldn't shame someone

for his or her taste in literature, because it is how they express themselves.
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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

Kurt, "An Expert in the Contemporary Literature- General"

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

Opposing Viewpoints in Context