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Post by eliseanderson on Sept 11, 2015 6:38:05 GMT
I think studying literature is a valuable part of our education because it is an effective way to learn about different cultures, time periods, and opinions. Studying literature is also important in developing skills in analysis and deep thinking. Personally, studying literature has broadened my view on many subjects and has offered me various insights regarding subjects I did not know a lot about. Being born and raised in Lake Oswego, I understand that I have lived a very sheltered life and still have so much to learn. Without studying works of literature from different cultures and different periods of time, I would be much more unprepared for the harshness of the real world if I hadn't been exposed to all walks of life through literature. Literature is also a way to connect with the rest of the world and establishes themes that can thread themselves through all people and unite them on a relatable level in a way that no other form of art can do as effectively, in my opinion.
I believe that the list of literature taught in schools, though, does need to be well thought out. Certain pieces seem to hold significantly greater value to a majority of students than others. For example, if we are reading a story that has no relatable aspect, or a plot that wouldn't interest many young kids, students tend to show less interest and actively participate less and therefore get less out of the experience. Personally, I learn the most from literature that contains a universal theme and a topic that is relatable to some aspect of my life. If these things are included in a story written from a perspective, time period, or setting that is unfamiliar to me it is easier to put myself in the character's position and see things from their perspective. That way I learn more and get more out of the time spent studying the literature.
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Post by evann3wman on Sept 11, 2015 7:52:15 GMT
I see literature as something that always gives, never takes. Where you can never read a piece of literature and comeback learning absolutely nothing. Literature is so free form, so unique, that even if you were to skim over its limitless interpretations and endless symbolism that may fly over your head, you will take something from the piece you've read. It may be a new perspective or a widening of your vocabulary but nonetheless you grew in some way. Literature gives two broad, but when broken down complex, things; one is it improves your ability to use the English language and two, it has artistic value or meaning to us.
Surely if everyone were to speak as well as a book does literature wouldn't hold any special value to us, such as a stick figure isn't any feat of accomplishment, but a detailed drawn face is, because we can tell it isn't easy. Literature is that step that truly divides the line from a professional to an amateur and as such is used as a decent way for us to judge whether any written work falls into those two categories, or somewhere in-between. Being why it's so important to study literature because it gives us that knowledge to not only judge our work, but improve it as well. Each paragraph, sentence, word you read in literature was not constructed without countless revisions and double-revisions along with peer-edits and then triple-revisions to create something that intently displays, pure, fluent English.
With literature's ability of fluency it is able to construct artistic meaning in its work. What I mean is that literature can express itself in limitless ways, as not only does the writer create a world in which he or she feels or perceives, so too does the reader make their own world. It's in my opinion, impossible that my perception of the world could even come close to another’s. We are of our own mind and inevitably, like viewing a painting, we feel and see differently from each other. This gives literature absolutely no defined rules because it can be interpreted however one pleases in as many ways as they could possible come up with. Which is why it’s important to study literature because it lets us see new perspectives and possibly change our opinions we thought we would have never changed.
It's something that will at least benefit you in some way in your future. So while I wouldn't say I love literature, I know its helping me go farther than if I were to deny its teachings. Ultimately there is countless value in literature that it gives so much, yet needs nothing but your attention in return.
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Post by bauma05313 on Sept 11, 2015 15:52:20 GMT
Hey Mr.Meeker
I think we should study literature because helps us understand vocab a lot more. If you read a lot of hardcore books like Macbeth, then you will learn a ton of hard literature. The point of literature is to understand the words coming out of peoples mouth anywhere and to help us understand what other people feel and think. By reading about other people's ideas and learn more about ourselfs
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Post by morganhall on Sept 11, 2015 16:21:17 GMT
Mr. Meeker
I believe that studying literature has multiple benefits that are often hard for people to understand. First, literature is the opening to discovering more about culture. Each piece of work entails a different mentality of society and how others view the world. Second, I think studying literature is a great way to expand on individual horizons. Literature gives its readers a new way of processing information and improving their intellectual habits. Personally, studying literature broadens my horizons of critical thinking, and truly understanding a piece.
If someone were to respond saying that literature has no value in studying, I would disagree with their opinion. For some people, literature is not their favorite subject to study in school. At times, it does get very boring and strenuous to read and seriously understand the deep meaning of a piece of work. However, this boredom does not in any way take away its importance. If you were to imagine a world with no literature, what would we be left with? The biggest aspect I can think of is our way of communication with one another, not only would books not exist, but how could we form a concise language? Without literature, the world would be a very empty place. Studying literature in schools is the best way to broaden young minds and open new doors to their views on our world.
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Post by ngkiddle on Sept 11, 2015 19:33:34 GMT
Mr. Meeker,
Literature is an ongoing conversation between the author and the reader. Reading a novel is like listening to the author’s opinions and then in studying the novel we can return our own. This is much like one of the major themes we are going to be coving this year, the artist versus the critic.
Studying literature is important for students because it allows us to step into someone else’s world. As readers we can see through another’s eyes. This is crucial to our development as human beings. Part of growing up is understanding others and gaining other perspectives on life. Through the study of literature we can develop an understanding of the author and begin to sense what type of person he is. I believe it is our duty to respect our peers and to be kind to them. A big part of respect stems from being able to empathize with others. But to empathize with another you must be able to put yourself in their shoes, this is where literature comes in. However to achieve this understanding we cannot be just the artist or just the critic. To be a compassionate human we must fulfill both roles of the artist and the critic. This is what I believe Tobias Wolff is trying to tell with his story, “Bullet to the Brain,” Anders was only a critic his whole life and never learned to be an artist. Consequently he was so bitter. The study of literature has a massive role in shaping our personalities.
Nick Kiddle
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Post by DevonRainer on Sept 15, 2015 3:22:21 GMT
Mr. Meeker,
Literature is a great tool for educational institutions to use. Not only does it provide an often engaging story that can be subconsciously analyzed and evaluated on the fly, but in fact furthers the knowledge of the individual experiencing it, whether it be a painting, novel, piece of music or any other form of art. The notion that literature has no practical value is ridiculous. Of course it provides content that can be appreciated, but even more important, I think, is the education that one can gain by simply experiencing the work in some way. Avid readers of any particular author will often show similar writing styles in their own work, and there is a very clear correlation between the amount of reading one does and the quality of their writing.
Additionally, works of literature based on real events (I see The Kite Runner a lot in this thread) have a much more profound effect on the reader/watcher/listener/ect. The Kite Runner in particular is a memorable story, as it gives very real insights into the lives of those in the Middle East. The fact that the novel is based off a true story, I think, makes all the horrible moments that much more memorable. It provides the reader with real, vivid imagery that is impossible to ignore, and the reader gains knowledge about particular events in the process. For instance, there is a plethora of information on kites and the kite festivals alone that take place across Afghanistan.
If it's not already apparent, I would be inclined to strongly disagree with the statement "Literature has no practical value". Works of literature have shaped the entire human race from its beginning, and show no signs of slowing down. We can't say it lacks value, then turn around and talk about the great playwright William Shakespeare, the incredible artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, or the remarkable author Leo Tolstoy. There is very clear value in the works kids are taught in class, whether they tell stories of racism, war, unrequited love, or anything else. Without the value literature held and continues to hold, it would have been disregarded as a laughable hobby long ago. However, it still stands as the most powerful communication device ever created.
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Post by jeffcrowell on Sept 15, 2015 3:38:58 GMT
Mr Meeker,
We should study literature because it gives us an individual and unique perspective into life past and present. Literature is a unique perspective of the world from an individuals perspective composed of thoughts, attitudes, experiences, and traits that would otherwise be permanently lost to an ever changing world. Language it it's most basic form served solely for the purpose of communication, but has evolved and expanded as human society has. By studying literature, we are able to gain a unique look at how our society has evolved with our literature. Literature is able to teach us how to see the world and ourselves from different perspective and thus allows us to grow and develop new ideas, opinions, attitudes, et cetera. Literature can also help to improve and expand one's personal vocabulary. Without literature, there would be no way to learn the vast intricacies that our language has. Literature is absolutely necessary to study, especially in the primary grades of education, because as stated, it helps us to improve our linguistics by seeing different perspectives we would otherwise be limited from. Literature is an invaluable resource giving a glimpse at the way humans communicate with an ever expanding society.
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Post by annalmartin on Sept 15, 2015 5:04:00 GMT
Dear Mr. Meeker,
I think that this is a very thought provoking question. When you walk through the halls of LOHS, you would here many opinions on why english class and literature study is important. Some may say that it is a waste of time to read books that teach them nothing about "real life" or that are so boring and time consuming. For me, I believe that it is important for us to study literature in english class because of the fact that it does teach us about real life. The morals and themes of the books that we read in the Lake Oswego High School curriculum may not directly tell us how to live our lives, but we can take the experiences and lessons learned by the characters and through analysis and deconstruction, and allow them to impact our lives.
A direct example of literature affecting our lives comes from the first book that we read freshman year, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. An American classic, this book discusses themes of Good vs. Evil and basic human morality. This theme is something that we all had to apply to our lives freshman year. Whether it being through friends, family, relationships with teachers, or any peers, we all discovered that there simply are bad people in the world. But, through reading this book, I was able to open my eyes to look for good people, such as Atticus Finch. It is the experiences of Scout and Jem that I was able to apply to my own life, therefore making reading TKM a vital turning point in my life.
Literature may not be for everyone. I am personally not a huge reader, but I can see, and appreciate, the importance of keeping literature in our lives. I am looking forward to the books we are going to read this year!
Cheers,
Anna
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Post by cassandraleonard33 on Sept 15, 2015 5:05:35 GMT
Studying literature in school is important, but the literature we read should be updated to accommodate modern times and beliefs. As others have said before me, studying literature improves vocabulary, grammar, and analytical skills. Studying literature also leads to well rounded students with writing and speaking capabilities that they will use for the rest of their lives. But studying almost any type of literature would produce the same results. Why should we have to read the same literature that was taught in schools in our parents time? I don't think I am the only one to think that a lot of what we read in English class is boring and not relatable. The themes, morals, and ideas that we dig for in the literature are outdated and unconnected from modern day views. And even when there are positive messages in the text, they are almost always hidden underneath discriminatory themes. I can say without a doubt that the most frequent theme in the literature we read in school is prejudice. The most common form of prejudice in literature is sexism, as women are often portrayed as weak damsels that tempt the heroic men. The literature taught in schools should promote forward thinking, new ideas, and equality. Instead they promote prejudice, which is taught to every new generation as we continue to keep these outdated books in the school curriculum. If we keep these prejudice novels and stories in school curriculum, they shouldn't be taught as works of art, but as something we should learn from and strive to change. When I read something, especially in English class, I want to be interested and inspired. Instead, I am often offended by the treatment of woman, people of other races, and people with differing beliefs. As vital as reading and interpreting literature is to your education, something needs to change so these old prejudices are put to rest and taken out of public school curriculum.
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Post by Zach Purtzer on Sept 15, 2015 8:16:20 GMT
Studying literature is individually crucial to becoming educated aswell as learning other subjects, not only due to the necessity proper vocabulary and grammar, but also to gain a stronger grasp on how to better construct and express one's opinion. Having a teacher lead a group in reading activities may inspire many students to take up reading for themselfs and realize the true usefulness and enjoyment of reading by themselves. Without expression we are useless as human and might as well be hamsters, literature is our only non-computerized method of comunicating the occurrences in history in a precise and detailed manor. When i think of people who would rather see literature be discontinued from out education i see the danger of degeneration in society, but also the reality that it could very well be that way some day if other radical changes occur in society. But it is because of the delicate nature of literature that it is so important that we continue to learn as much as we can while we are still able and supplied with the means to do so easily.
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Post by karldegrood on Sept 15, 2015 19:48:10 GMT
Literature needs to be studied in school in order to drive students into a positive direction. By learning from books, people can morph society into a more ideal society. This being said, the literature chosen for schools is not picked based on interest, it is not picked based on having a variety of ideas, but rather as a loophole around having no politics in school. Without this, life in the school area would be morphed into a different from society for better or for worse.
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Post by jacklee495 on Sept 17, 2015 1:27:19 GMT
As we learn about the literature, we can find out the values of life and a variety of feel the emotion of life. And what's more important thing is Literature is due to reflect our social nature. We can just see the contemporary social conditions, Spatially background , etc in the literature readings which we can capture and figure out what is happening to us personally and to the world. An entire culture exists in the written word, documenting the collective thoughts of everyone who cared to share them with the world and I believe that for one to truly be a part of human society, it is critical that one take part in the evolution and self-realization that is literature, even if only in the reading aspect. Writing, however, carries a grave importance, as literature simply would not exist in the accessible form it does without written word, and for that reason I believe all who can write should. One should take advantage of the great opportunity to be part of and contribute to the world and society in which he or she lives through writing. I see literature in the societal sense a collective struggle to understand and make the best of the lives that we have all been given. Literature serves as a way to enrich our minds, and presents a way to improve the world not only through the beauty of its presence but through the ideas and tangible possibilities it possesses.
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