[ot-caption title=”In light of Harper Lee’s passing, students reflect on the Pine Crest English curriculum. (via Jessie Gross, sophomore)”]

The passing of author Harper Lee on February 19^th, 2016 marked a sad day for not only fans, but also for the entire Pine Crest Community. The effects of her 1960 classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, are still being felt in 2016, as previous readers refer back to the novel to help combat modern issues of racism and injustice. Narrated by a young girl, Scout Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird explores issues of segregation and racism in the context of a court trial.  But how relevant are these novels today? Is it perhaps time for a new English curriculum?

Since the novel contains important messages, many English teachers choose to make it required reading, feeling as though its themes of social injustice and racism are timeless and relevant topics. At Pine Crest, the English department teaches To Kill A Mockingbird in 7th grade. While many students enjoy reading the book in middle school, several teachers feel that the novel should be taught in high school. High school English Teacher, Mrs. Ortega states, “Classics like To Kill A Mockingbird should never be read just once.  I absolutely believe that there are benefits in a student’s first exposure to To Kill A Mockingbird in 7th grade. However, I feel that students will uncover more about the novel from revisiting the classic in high school when the their analysis skills are more refined in order to fully appreciate Lee’s statement about race and justice both then and now.” English teacher Mr. Gillego explained his own experience reading this classic in middle school.  “I studied To Kill a Mockingbird in the 8th grade, and it had a huge impact on me.  I didn’t so much fall in love with the character of Atticus, but instead with the characters of Jem and Scout.  They had such an innocence, and I could relate at that age.”

In addition to To Kill a Mockingbird’s presence on the required reading list, novels such as The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Macbeth are commonly read as part of the American high school curriculum. As the years pass and the books age, it becomes a concern whether the themes and lessons taught in each novel are still relevant and useful to a younger generation of readers, especially at Pine Crest.

English Department Chair, Mrs. Anderson, believes, “It’s important for students to read the classics in order to prepare for AP English courses that span literature from 1540 to present day. The required books from the Canon that students study in high school also help them gain the necessary knowledge of renowned literature from different time periods and genres to achieve success in college English courses. Our courses at Pine Crest do include current fiction and non-fiction when appropriate. I believe that it is important for students to read contemporary works of literature by our best writers today that are potentially the ‘classics’ of tomorrow. This is why many English teachers in the department, including myself, believe that students should read contemporary fiction and nonfiction works both inside and outside of the classroom.”  And while this is a good thought, several students will not read purely for pleasure outside of the classroom. Instead, they will only read what is assigned to them. Therefore, students argue that more contemporary books should be assigned for required reading.

These students feel that personally choosing novels to read for an English course will allow them to relate and discuss the books in more detail, as they contain many modern topics. Sophomore Lauren Britton agrees, explaining, “As students, we should be able to have a voice when it comes to the books we read. It’s important for students to help choose English books because we are able to find novels containing relatable themes and characters, which make the reads very enjoyable and interesting.” Mr. Gillego agrees with this wholeheartedly; he shares,  “I’m a big proponent of contemporary literature…and when I mean contemporary, I mean works published within the last 10 years.  I like making sure that the students are current, and making sure that they’re connecting to the literary landscape that’s actually rather exciting right now.  That’s why I love teaching Lang.  We really get to explore that.”

The classic books assigned at PC present an even more pressing argument.  Classics that some students deem “irrelevant” may not be read.  Instead of taking on the challenge of these older texts, some may choose to find the answers they need online. Junior Katherine Poppiti says, “I think a lot of this has to do with the books we’re assigned.  Classics have a place in our curriculum, but there also needs to be a place for more modern reads.”

Although most schools decide to follow a standard required reading list, it will be interesting to see if more schools veer off from the norm and allow students to help choose novels. While classics, such as Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, will always be important pieces of American literature, perhaps more modern works should be selected as required reading.

Sources: ABC, Cliffnotes