What exactly is taught in literature classes varies from school to school. However, certain books are considered staples of school curriculums. According to Penguin Books, the books that students read in school “can be formative, shaping [a student’s] relationship with books for the rest of their life…they can also offer a sense of belonging and understanding.”
I decided to interview a handful of students and teachers to ask their opinions on classic novels read in school curriculums.
“I think the most impactful [novel] that I read in high school was probably “Of Mice and Men,’” Mrs. Goff, an English teacher at Mt. Vernon High School stated. “I was probably a freshman [when I read it]. I think it is impactful because it talks about the American dream and it highlights disability and poverty. I think that as a high school student, at least when I was in school, [students] do not think about those types of things unless it is something [they have] experienced or [they] know someone who experiences it.”
However, Madison Calhoun, junior, pointed out that “it takes a certain crowd to understand the complexity of books used in English classes compared to ones people just read anywhere.”
Callhoun then went on to say that she loved reading “The Great Gatsby,” a relatively popular classic amongst students.
Mt. Vernon senior Nevaeh Weaver, too, agreed that the best school book she had ever read was “The Great Gatsby.” She then stated, “I think that the books are interesting at some points. Sometimes, they are not as desirable as one would think.”
Mrs. Scruggs, an American literature and creative writing teacher at Mt. Vernon High School commented, “I think the most important thing that I teach at this point is ‘The Crucible.’ I think it is important that we always look at why things are written and how history repeats itself. People should always be aware of what is happening in the world.”
“If I did not have to annotate, I would have enjoyed the books a lot more,” senior Geseca Atta proclaimed, “I liked ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ though.”
As for my opinion, I believe that novels taught in literature classes can have a significant impact on the students they are taught to. Pieces of literature such as “Flowers for Algernon,” “Lord of the Flies” and “Slaughterhouse-Five” still live with me as some of my favorite books. I even look back fondly on short stories such as “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury or comedic plays such as Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” or “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Though, a majority of the time, books read in English classes are older novels, the lessons that they carry never die.
