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You said "these types" of books. What do you mean by "these type"? You mean books written for adults?
There is also the irony of saying you loath British lit yet in the next paragraph proclaim your love for Hairy Potter.
Nothing is "wrong" with it. But children's stories are well children's stories and don't have the same level of depth as adult literature.
(Darn, first post got eaten)
By "these" type of books I meant books written in a specific period by writers of similar style.
The only irony with the statement is that all the books are written by British authors. Neither the style of writing, the themes, nor the time periods are the same. But if we group them all as British Lit, then ok, there is irony.
I disagree that children's stories can't have a comparable amount of depth. Why wouldn't The Hobbit, or The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, be subject to the same amount of analysis? If it's not the same amount of analysis, why not even different analysis?
Why can't the Harry Potter series have a character or psychological analysis on a "half-blood" leader to those who tout the "pure-blood" party line? Why can't one have an analysis of a corrupt and ineffectual political party that allows an overzealous, fanatical 3rd party to take over darn near covertly? Why can't one discuss, analyze, and dissect the hows and whys? Now, is this the same exact type of analysis one does on the classics? I wouldn't know. But haven't other posters already stated that the point for reading the classics was to help one develop critical thinking skills, improve vocabulary, and heck, maybe even find they enjoy reading books?
I see nothing wrong with an adult finding a children's book to be worthy of an intelligent, deep, and yes, adult conversation. Maybe my use of analysis may be incorrect. But, personally, I found the Harry Potter series to be full of interesting themes, literary techniques, and literary influences, that taught me a hell of a lot AND brought me a lot of enjoyment. Isn't that the point?
By "these" type of books I meant books written in a specific period by writers of similar style.
And that specific period and style would be...?
Quote:
Originally Posted by anadyr21
The only irony with the statement is that all the books are written by British authors. Neither the style of writing, the themes, nor the time periods are the same..
Here you are making a comparison again, but to what exactly?
And yes, Harry Potter is an example of British literature hence the irony.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anadyr21
Why wouldn't The Hobbit, or The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, be subject to the same amount of analysis?
Those are not really children's literature.
Regardless, I never suggested that you can't analyze children's literature rather I stated that there is a distinction between children's literature and adult literature. Not sure if you have noticed, but children are not just little people. They do not comprehend the same sorts of things as adults, so naturally the literature that is targeted towards them lacks the sort of depth seen in adult literature. This does not mean Children's literature can't be great or is not worthy for adults to read. Personally, I'm rather fond of the Le Petit Prince.
The Harry Porter stories are great kids stories, but they simply don't compare to novels like The Scarlet Letter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anadyr21
I see nothing wrong with an adult finding a children's book to be worthy of an intelligent...
I don't see anything wrong with adults reading books targeted for children, what I think is inaccurate is the idea that these books are on the same intellectual level as novels written for educated adults.
Let me ask you, what was the last such novel you read?
When high school students ask, "How will I use English Literature when I grow up? How will The Scarlet Letter or The Crucible help me in life?" What do you say?
Tell them that it's not the facts of the literature that they are necessarily training; it's their ability to focus on a subject matter and analyze it critically. Furthermore, they are also reinforcing their command of decent English spelling and grammar. These are important skills if you want to have a professional career in life.
Beyond that, they are also being exposed to ideas and cultural expressions that may help them grow personally in their own hobbies and interests in later life.
You learn about human nature and human behavior when you read literature. Things such as love, hate, intrigue, jealousy, anger, revenge, etc, don't change much.... even though people might have worn funny looking clothing or their speech might have sounded a little different, motivations don't change much.
Because it broadens your imagination, allows you to think outside of the box, get to know another's point of view, and perhaps even one day, you might enjoy it so much and you'll choose it as your career... but who knows, I can't see your future so I educate you so that your future will be better off than not knowing anything...
The classics teach you to think critically, and to force to not only understand the plot and the characters, but the numerous sub-plots and back-story on multiple levels. Classics develop compassion, the ability to reflect both emotionally and detached in order to diagnose the positive and negative aspects of a victory and failure. The Classics also enable you to inspire and be inspired, relate your own victories and failures in context and relate the fatal mistakes made to the characters which do after all exhibit the best and worst of human emotions.
K12 smelly attitude. is what you are teaching mr 40 year old masters degree, worthy of my 13 year old attention? disrespectd and lack of discipline, the road to failure.
Last edited by Huckleberry3911948; 01-28-2010 at 03:01 PM..
Are you serious??? It's for the quotes. It's so you don't feel ignorant when your are in a conversation and someone refers to a person or event in a classic, likening it to points in the conversation.
I wish I had paid more attention in high school to lit class. I have had to embarrass myself more than once because I didn't have any idea about a reference to a classic in conversation. I read a whole lot more now so I know what people are talking about.
Quoting classics is so much fun. If you haven't read them, you're at a loss.
Our whole lives are spent in communication--whether on computers, by hand, Blackberrys iPods, or on our cell phones. Those who are great communicators get ahead. Our President, for one, is quite good at giving speeches and has authored a fascinating book.
The more we read of great writers, the more the influence on our own ability to communicate. We improve our command of language by exposing ourselves to some of the best. The added frosting on the cake is by reading other's thoughts, fears, hopes, dreams and experiences--this expands our knowledge and understanding of human nature. Another great skill to have.
What's in it for them? A whole world of thought and magic.
It's all good.
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