A Case for Reading Both Classic and Contemporary Literature

Eight years ago, when I started teaching English at a local homeschool co-op, I took the opportunity to build an academic plan that checked a few essential boxes: writing standards according to MLA format, space for critical thinking and discussion, and exposure to themes and ideas that spotlight the human condition.

When it came to creating a solid book list, I knew Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, and To Kill a Mockingbird would be fixtures. Shakespeare was a given. Then came Beowulf, Animal Farm, and A Study in Scarlet. I pulled poetry from American and British literary periods and added Greek tragedies and American plays to our studies on drama. Each of the classes I teach, which span ninth to twelfth grades, is grounded in classic literature because of its timelessness, influence, and universal appeal.

And yet, my classes are also grounded in contemporary works, such as Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. I’ve included short stories by Ted Chiang and excerpts from Freakonomics. While there’s value in reading the classics, there is plenty of room for studying current points of view.

Reading both classic and contemporary works accomplishes a few key things:

1. Students connect the dots between then and now

Where do archetypes come from? What’s the difference between a tragedy and a comedy? What stories help us understand our own history? These are the questions we endeavor to answer by reading classic works of literature. Whether a work was written in Anglo-Saxon England or the American South in the 1930s, there is more to explore than the plot and its characters. Reading classic works paints a vivid picture of the past. They are snapshots of a culture from a specific period of time.

2. They learn about intertextuality firsthand

It’s true that there is nothing new under the sun. While the details of a simple story will morph and change over time, the human condition is the same as it ever was. One of the ways writers explore the human condition is to take a previously written work and reimagine it, or respond to it, with a new story of their own creation. (For example, fans of Ruth Ware might not know that her 2019 novel The Turn of the Key is a reworking of Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw.)

When students read a piece of classic literature, followed by a work of intertextuality, they start to understand how stories are connected throughout time and cultures. Reading Animal Farm by George Orwell and Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn back to back shows students that we are, and always have been, susceptible to corrupt leaders.

3. Everyone will discover a story to enjoy

Give students enough options and they’re bound to finish the school year with a new favorite book. I cannot count the number of times a student has told me, “I thought I’d hate this book, but it’s actually my favorite from the whole year.”

If I can tick enough boxes with genre, characters, and writing style, and present these stories from centuries of creation, every student stands a chance of finding a book to like. Often, their preconceived notions are debunked and they walk away with an appreciation for stories old and new.

One of my guiding principles when it comes to teaching English is making sure there is a balance between the hard and easy, the boring and entertaining, the obvious and abstract. When we vacillate between classic and contemporary literature, we end up with well-rounded respect for storytellers across generations.

Jennie Miller teaches FundaFunda’s High School English and Independent Honors English classes.