Reply to the Atlantic: The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I went to FCPS in the 90s and we had lots of assigned books in high school, but I have to say, I don’t think I ever really fully grasped what I was reading. I’ve always thought it’s kind of odd that we expect teenagers with almost no life experience to understand themes in literature written by adults for adults.

Nevertheless, despite my lack of understanding and over dependence on Cliff’s Notes, I got a 5 on my AP English test and never took another English class again. Many years later, as an adult, I discovered a love of reading, revisited many of the novels I read in high school, and finally understood what they were all about! Now I have teenagers who both love to read, but honestly, I’m not too sure they’re really getting it either. [/quote]

I am sure I didn’t grasp the deeper themes in the many books I read in high school. But that didn’t mean the effort wasn’t worth it. I doubt it is common for anyone who did not get the training required to read challenging books as a child to pick one up as an adult. At some point, kids need to learn how to do hard things, and how to pick up and get through a book that’s challenging. That is the skill set that is being lost. [/quote]

These books are challenging because they were written for people in a different place at a different time, and it wasn't challenging for them.

Charles Dickens and Shakespeare wrote ”trash" for the common people. 
Theie audience weren't delighted by deciphering obsolete language from a past culture. Shakespeare's plays were not even books! They were live performances! You know, like [i]movies[/i]. [/quote]

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