As Sally Law points out, literature opens up a window on the world for students. That window presents them with them numerous opportunities because “gaining a broad view of society, through the eyes of another, fosters understanding, tolerance and empathy” (Law). Moreover, obtaining understanding, tolerance and empathy are values that “cannot be underestimated in today’s world” (Law). In short, American Literature has value because it can help people to be more human, which can in turn help people to make good decisions, know themselves better, and develop a basis for comprehending human nature that can be applied in the real world. That is something that people should consider when talking about literature—it’s real world applicability. The fact that literature can be useful in shaping perspectives, enriching one’s sense of how dynamic and complex situations and environments can be, and creating a view of life that gives context to the here and now are all great reasons for ensuring that American Literature remains a staple of colleges.
The important thing to remember is that one does not have to be a literary critic or scholar to appreciate literature. After all, most literature was not written for scholars or academics but rather for normal, everyday people. American literature can be helpful even for non-English majors because it exposes them to ideas and examples of life that they might otherwise never encounter. Writers hone their craft by holding the mirror up to nature and allowing us to see what it is we are truly like, or where have come from culturally, or how the total experience of life can be meaningful or have some sort of cathartic value.
Suzanne Choo and Angelia Poon state that “literature education provides a platform for critical discussions about what it means to live the good life, which is the just life, the meaningful life, and the ethical life.” Stories help to give an idea of what it means to be ethical or to be a moral person. They can inform the character and promote character education. Choo and Poon point at that the ancient Greek philosophers who essentially helped to create the moral and ethical foundations of the West were very adamant about character education, viewing this is the most important part of education. Aristotle especially saw the value of stories and dramatic works in shaping the characters of people.
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It is also about interacting with the author in a personal and experiential way that can have a deep impact on one’s psyche, consciousness, soul or attitude. In terms of American literature, this experience can have a distinctly American flavor to it, so that one gets to shape one’s character through contact with the American experience.
At Northwestern University, hundreds of students studying to be a professional in business or some other industry take literature classes because they realize the value of obtaining wisdom through reading the classics, according to Gary Morson. Some people might not think about the value of obtaining wisdom when they are pursuing their degrees, but wisdom is actually very helpful no matter what career or profession you want to pursue. Literature can be a way to help grow wisdom, and certainly there is some wisdom to be attained from reading American literature.
The reputations of American authors from Hawthorne to Melville to so many others have been esteemed for many years, and not getting to know them is like having some highly-respected people on your block yet ignoring their existence and never stopping by to chat with them or get to know them. It is like totally disregarding your heritage or your culture and community and acting as though you live this isolated existence where you don’t need anybody else but yourself. There’s something to be said for getting out of your own head and encountering other people, especially ones whom others have had great things to say about.
By getting to know the authors of American literature through reading and investigating their works, you can see what it is that others have celebrated, or see the ideas that other people have thought were interesting or important, and that can give you a lot to think about. You can ask questions like, “So why have these words been admired?” or “So what is it about these ideas and the way they are presented in this story that has had so many people talking about it? What is going on with this? How can I better understand this?” You get to know a lot about yourself by interacting with other people, and reading American literature is a way to get to know yourself and grow in wisdom because it is like communicating with…
