Should the Works of American Literature class exist at College

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.
In other words, reading isn’t just about getting to know how writers use metaphors or language to communicate a message. 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 wise people from the past who have left behind an important communication that can only be understood through the telling of a story.
Homer used stories to communicate a message. Christ used stories to communicate a message. Shakespeare used stories to communicate a message. Stories are hugely important for people as they are a way for tying communication of an important lesson to something pleasurable and enjoyable. Drama gives us something to experience. Comedy makes us laugh. These two approaches are found in American literature and in between the lines is the underlying message that you can think about and meditate on so as to develop your own mind and character. The reason students have majors in business or something non-English related take Literature courses is that they want to be well-rounded, they want to have exposure to the past, to the ideas that formed others, and they want to have their characters developed so that they can be successful in whatever walk of life they choose.
So you do not have to be an English-major to appreciate American literature, just like you do not need to be a scientist to admire or appreciate the natural world. There is a beauty to the written word that is comparable to the beauty found in a flower or in a landscape. Rachel Trubowitz and Michael Ferber state that “literature transports the cosmos into our most private and personal reflections; yet it also shows us how everyday things, the objects and scenery we hardly notice as we trudge through our routines, can be made radiant with a strange beauty.” Reading American literature can help students deal with their own introspective issues. It can help them to see things differently, to obtain a new perspective on life, to acquire a new philosophy or attitude, to take the lessons learned from someone else’s story and apply them to one’s own life, to see more beauty or wonder in the world than before.
American literature can help increase one’s awareness. David Denby points out that “reading literature, history, science, and the rest of the liberal-arts canon helps produce three-dimensional human beings.” So what does it mean to be a three-dimensional human being, as opposed to a one-dimensional person or a two-dimensional person? A one-dimensional human being is someone who has no depth and whose surface is easily shattered. Such a person has no support and no framework for acting in real life. A two-dimensional person might have a little bit more substance, but still there is little to no depth of character. The individual is shallow and mostly superficial in his or her opinions and attitudes. Such a person will not make a good leader or help to transform those around him or her for the better. A three-dimensional human being, however, is someone who has depth and character and intellect and an ability to lead others by example and by thinking and expression. Reading American literature can help to create three-dimensional human beings, according to Denby. If that is so, then it should certainly be a required part of every college experience.
Going to college is not just about paying the dues and getting the piece of paper that represents your degree or education. It is about actually becoming educated. And this means that the whole head and heart and emotions have to be educated. That is something that Dickens wrote about in David Copperfield—that the head and the heart have to learn serious lessons in order to be useful in life. No doubt, there are similar lessons to be found in American literature.
In conclusion, American literature is definitely worth reading and definitely worth pursuing in college even if one is a non-English major. The reason is that one does not have to be an English major in order to appreciate the great works of literature. And, yes, the great works of literature should still be admired and taught and passed down to the next generation. Why would today’s teachers want to deny them the great works that were handed down from the past? Today’s students depend on teachers who are willing to give what they have received—and if the old works are not passed down, many lessons of the past will be forgotten and lost. Many experiences that can help shape the heart and mind will never be had. That is why we should also continue to celebrate the great works by calling them so.

Works Cited
Choo, Suzanne and Angelia Poon. “Importance of literature education for the future.”
The Straits Times, 2 Nov 2015. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/importance-of-literature-education-for-the-future
Denby, David. “Do Teens Seriously Read Anymore?” New Yorker, 23 Feb 2016.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/books-smell-like-old-people-the-decline-of-teen-reading
Law, Sally. “Classic works of literature still have a place in today’s classrooms.” The
Guardian, 11 Dec 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/dec/11/teaching-classic-literature-schools
Morson, Gary. “Why College Kids are Avoiding the Study of Literature.” Commentary,
1 July 2015. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/why-college-kids-are-avoiding-the-study-of-literature/
Trubowitz, Rachel and Michael Ferber. “Why study English literature?” University of
New Hampshire, 2013. https://cola.unh.edu/english/why-study-english-literature