You might think the classics have no place in the modern world but studying them has a number of different benefits, especially when it comes to things such as grammar. It also serves to broaden your horizons because you can learn about people who are different. Classic literature helps you refine your own writing skills and expands your vocabulary. There are so many classics to choose from that picking a few to concentrate on can be a challenge. If you’d like to experience the joy and excitement many of these classics bring, here are three you should get hold of. As well as learning about writing and grammar, these classics raise several valid issues for today’s modern students.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Written about displaced ranch workers during the Great Depression, this novella by John Steinbeck features in many education syllabuses. It is regularly used because it is considered to be relevant to 21st-century society. It’s length, only six chapters is possibly something else that has made it so appealing. Two of the main themes, bullying and compassion, are subjects that can ring true for many students.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is another popular literature classic that is often part of the syllabus for literature studies. However, it is also a useful novel to read for those studying Victorian history. There are elements from Romanticism and the Gothic literary movements included in the novel and a very interesting take on the proto-feminist movement. Much of the vocabulary used in the novel is advanced so a little extra help may be needed. If you need help understanding the classics, there are various places you can go. C2 Education, for example, is a US company that offers tutoring for students from elementary to high school. Don’t be daunted by taking on a challenge; this can only prep you for further education choices you make in the future.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This story explores injustice and racial prejudice in America’s deep south and is another staple of school syllabus around the world. The main lesson to be learned from this book is that people are people, regardless of social class or race. It encourages students to appreciate the importance of looking at matters from other people’s perspective. Other issues raised include mental and physical courage, respect for children, following your own moral code, and that people are not always what they seem. Important concepts we could all benefit from thinking about more often.
When it comes to taking exams, many of the issues raised in these classics might not seem very relevant. However, many of the issues raised could be causing students problems and making them stressed and anxious. When such problems are looked at and discussed in the books that students read, it can help them overcome their own problems. Studying literary classics, therefore, has benefits on a number of different levels. There are the obvious benefits of improving a person’s language skills and their understanding of grammar and vocabulary. There are also many other far more subtle ways the classics can help modern students.
