Americans Need to Improve Adolescent Literature

 

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

American students once read good stories in literature textbooks. The stories were selected for their literary merit, but today many of the stories are banal and uninspiring. They are not chosen for literary merit as much as for their political correctness. 

The mediocre quality of American literature textbooks is due to the adoption process used in over 20 states, including Texas, Florida, and California. These three states purchase enormous qualities of textbooks. The books are selected by state committees rather than by literature teachers who must then try to teach their students how to write while reading inferior examples. This sad state of affairs suggests that the main concern of public education is to form young minds along the currents of contemporary culture.

Some stories in the literature texts receive a more favorable response than others. These demonstrate a balance between weird or exotic and familiar. They open before the students experiences and worlds that they have never imagined yet the characters are like them or like people they know in school. 

Many of our best readers are students who read to escape the bullies, the mundane, and the boredom of their daily routines. This is one of the reasons they return to classics like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. They want to read about worlds where young people are challenged, where they can be heroes, and where dangers and challenges develop strength and character.

What makes a good story? It should have memorable characters and it should entertain, but most importantly, it should have a positive impact on the character of the reader.

Related reading: Wendell Berry: The Writer's Obligation; The Challenges Writing Teachers Face; Read Well if You Would Write Well