Over many centuries, literature has become a core element to culture, learning, and everyday life. One of the most prevalent places where reading is important is in a school. Throughout school, you start with learning how to read and eventually end up going deeper and analyzing the text in older grades, so needless to say, you read an array of different books. While a lot of these are chosen by the teachers and are pretty good reads, others that are built into the curriculum are not. Whether it is outdated themes or just offensive text, some of these books should not be in 21st century education.
Shakespeare has been a prevalent figure in literature and a pioneer in theatre, but should his works really be taught in high school every year? While I do think his works have good meanings and themes, I don’t think his plays are the best way to present them. Classics like Romeo and Juliet have an interesting plot but are too hard to read and confusing for a lot of students. Instead of having to read multiple Shakespeare works a year, I would suggest keeping Shakespeare in one grade, perhaps freshman year, or just finding a modern translation of his stories to read instead. The 2006 novel, Ophelia, by Lisa M. Klein could be a good replacement because it still introduces readers to Shakespeare and will also keep the story fresh and interesting.
Another book that is outdated and could use an update in the curriculum is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. While the book has an interesting plot at times and Harper Lee was a very talented writer, the book lacks a strong plot, entertaining story arcs, and has a somewhat confusing story. Following the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of sexual assault, and his lawyer, Atticus Finch. It tells the story of prejudice and discrimination in Depression era Alabama through the eyes of a young girl. While the themes of racism and prejudice may have been revolutionary in the 1960s, in the modern day it really isn’t. It portrays a somewhat white savior narrative and really is focused all around the white people of the story. It can also be pretty slow at points and lacks direction at some points. While it isn’t an awful story in all, we could teach a lot better.
When it comes to stories to educate our youth about racism and discrimination, we could instead read books written by someone of that minority group, about the stories of that minority group. One book that sends a better message is author Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, which explores themes of racism, police brutality, and discrimination through the eyes of a 16 year old black girl, Starr Carter.
In addition to more books highlighting the individual stories and struggles of minority groups in order to educate students, it is also important to include books with diverse characters even when their backgrounds aren’t the main plot of the story. Sometimes people have the idea that any media with someone in a minority group has to be solely about the person and their struggles that pertain to their identity but that’s not true. There are so many books that include a diverse set of characters without making it solely about their identity. One example is the YA realistic fiction novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. This novel explores the lives of two young Mexican-American teenage boys discovering the world and their own feelings for eachother in a traditional coming-of-age plotline. While the characters are LGBTQ+ and Latino it isn’t entirely the entire plot and doesn’t overshadow their personalities. The story is also written by a Mexican-American, gay poet and novelist.
Along with diversifying stories taught, the books taught should be more relatable to the modern day. While teaching the classics can be important, they can be really boring to younger kids. Using modern settings and plotlines may keep readers more interested in the books. Ideally a good book curriculum should have both classics and modern day novels, ranging in genres.
In all, the book curriculum in schools could be a lot more diverse and have a broader range of themes. The set of books we currently have are very limited when it comes to representation, themes, and authors. Students from elementary age to high school age would benefit from a change in the curriculum to make it more inclusive and informational. The choice of more interesting or exciting books in the genres of fantasy or fiction could also make students want to read and be present in class.
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