Apr 11 2007
Recently, a number of schools in the United Kingdom refused to stock English literary classics in their libraries on the grounds that their pupils have no taste for such books and most of them find these books boring to read. While critics of educational standards have already marked this situation as an "indictment of the quality of state education," the reason provided by Helena Read, librarian at Cotelands School in Linconshire, needs special consideration. In Miss Read's words, "Kids love action and adventure... They love fantasy." That is why, she thinks, kids today love Japanese comics rather than wrecking their brains on Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, or Oliver Twist. Maybe she is right; things have changed.To advocates of classic literature and lovers of our English literary greats, the news is at once alarming and defying. Grand literary works of authors like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and George Eliot, etc. have been the yardstick for determining timeless human values, fixing standards of adequate judgment, and marking the refinement of collective human consciousness. If our kids find these literary works boring and lacking adventure and excitement, their tastes are tuned to different modes of perceiving and enjoying the written word. It is quite natural to argue that the reality they are living in today is a far cry from what it was like just 20 years ago--let alone the last two centuries in the human past. The question is: How are our youngsters likely to be affected by passing on literary classics and sticking to comics?
The greatest fear that preys on the ease of admirers of classics is the likelihood of kids losing respect for values that have been cherished not only by the Western Civilization but also by humanity in general for centuries. True love, compassion, sacrifice, forgiveness, commitment, hope, and care are some of these eternal universals that our grandmasters in literature have presented to humanity in the form of their works. These books have not only told meaningful stories but provided benevolent lessons that serve as models of proper thought and behavior for people of all ages. Losing them to mere excitement and self-enjoyment is like losing one's life in the pursuit of one's shadow.
We should ask ourselves why our kids find these remarkable works frumpy. Why was this not the case for such a long time since the first creation of these books? The answer lies in looking around ourselves. In a world where children are free to imagine the experiences of a human character through exploration of the natural world and human society, enjoyment did not mean taking pleasure in killing and showing supernatural feats. If our younger generation finds Jane Eyre boring, it is not because they have a genetically different taste; it is a sign of the degree to which comics and grotesque fantasies have adulterated their mind's capability for free imagination.
When a child is made to sit before a computer so early in his life and his brain is allowed to seek excitement in scenes of half-human figures fighting and ravaging, reality itself becomes a fantasy for the young mind. The little one's concept of pleasure is tied to a world that does not and cannot exist. No wonder that such a kid later finds comfort in guns or worse. Our electronic media has captivated the young mind in a world that is less human and more comic. Why do we complain that our kids are failing to appreciate human values?
There are nice games and comics that are purposeful and carry a lesson but they all fall short of one BIG flaw: their inadequacy of portraying human situation and interaction. A cartoon figure is far from the actual description of Jane Eyre in words. The blood issuing from an animated figure can never move the heart of a kid the way a complete description of an injured human character does in a work like Wuthering Heights or Hard Times.
Realistic situations in Dickens or Eliot are far different. They would let the reader feel the loss and then allow both the time and imagination of the reader to consciously attempt at the recovery of the victim. We are living in a time when there is no grandmother in the house to tell stories to the children; few production companies undertake the task of educating children rather than exciting them; and no video games designers that may allow the kid to become Pip and discover the world of human expectations and feelings. Then, why do we find it surprising that our youngsters are finding comfort in the world of mazes and monsters? It is worthwhile to appreciate the words of David Campbell, who runs the Millennium Library Trust, about the role of literary greats in human life: "These books are the DNA of our civilization." What we can do is to allow this DNA to resume its function--to use our creative imagination and make them interesting for to our young generations. Sense and Sensibility can be a good play at school; A Tale of Two Cities can become a wonderful video game; Silas Marner may well become an adventure. New title covers--with attractive scenes--may be designed. Family parties at home may simulate the ambience of our great literary past. If our kids have turned to something inferior, it is not because they have discovered it to be great; it is only because we have failed to impart our fondness of that which we have valued in our youth. To sum up, let us ask ourselves "Do we really love our literary heritage?" If yes, then why are failing to take time and make effort for introducing our kids to this attraction?
