As an English teacher, one of the questions I get most often is this: “Why should I bother? It’s not even important to study literature. It won’t help me in the real world.”
Now, I’m not so naive as to say that selecting an English major and pursuing it professionally is the easiest path. However, that doesn’t negate the power and utility of studying literature as a whole. That’s why I’ll address the top eight reasons why studying literature is important in this post–to address the question once and for all.
#1: It teaches you perspective
In today’s day and age, this might be the most valuable reason. As social media algorithms trick us into echo chambers and the “us vs them” culture expands, it’s becoming more and more difficult to understand other people’s perspectives. It can be uncomfortable and challenging, and that’s exactly why many people today prefer to just ignore anything that challenges their beliefs and remain stuck in their own perspectives.
It’s important to study literature because it forces you to do the exact opposite. By putting yourself in a character’s head and seeing life through their eyes–deepened by the use of things like dialogue, flashbacks, and diction–you gain an entirely new view of the world. You have to walk a bit in someone else’s shoes, and yes, you may not agree with them at all and it may solidify your position, but spending that time outside your own head is valuable.
Whether it’s looking at prejudice through the eyes of a child in To Kill a Mockingbird or confronting the loss of innocence through a teenage boy’s experience in The Catcher in the Rye, perspective is an invaluable lesson that literature teaches us.
#2: It makes you cultured and expands your knowledge
When you’re in high school, this might not seem important. When you hear a reference to something in literature, however, whether it’s in a conversation or a TV show, it’s incredibly important to have that knowledge base. With each book you read, you add to your web of knowledge. It doesn’t just make you seem smarter and impress people, but it also is gratifying to get it.
For example, if I told you that Clueless was based off Jane Austen’s Emma, you’d probably have a deeper appreciation for it and enjoy some of the plot points and dialogue more than if you would if you hadn’t read Emma. It opens your eyes to all of the inside jokes inserted into movies.
Another example: if someone says someone is acting like Miss Havisham and you’ve read Great Expectations, you’d understand that they’re probably referencing someone who is unable to move on after the death of a spouse. Or if you’re watching the Family Guy episode about high school English and you’ve read The Great Gatsby, Huck Finn, and Of Mice and Men, you’ll laugh even harder.
It really does make you smarter and help with other literature
Reading expands your general knowledge. However, it also helps you if you’re struggling with reading. Sometimes, it can feel like an uphill battle. When you start to build that knowledge base, it becomes easier bit by bit. Let’s take Inferno, which is famously difficult to read because of all of its references. If you’ve studied Greek and Roman mythology a bit (even if it’s from Percy Jackson!), you’ll recognize some of the names. Maybe you read the Iliad or Odyssey or Oedipus Rex previously. Now you won’t only recognize characters in that story, but also in a ton of other classic literature.
It’s important to study literature because of this utility in studies and your life outside of school!
#3: It teaches you about the interconnectedness of humanity
There’s something soothing about understanding that other people are going through the same thing, and that they have been for a long time. For example, the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote an entire letter to his friend titled “On Travel as a Cure for Discontentment”–about 2000 years ago. How many people do you know of today who travel hoping for an Eat, Pray, Love experience?
Then there’s The Catcher in the Rye, which follows a teenage boy’s struggles during his coming of age journey and his resistance toward losing his innocence. Any Jane Austen novel teaches you that romantic problems were still very much a thing 200 years ago. And Brave New World shows you that people had the same (very real) concerns about technology that we have today.
Whether you want to have some reassurance that you’re not alone or see how perspectives have changed over the years, reading literature is a great way to explore “the human condition,” or what it means to be human and how connected we all are across time and culture.
#4: It strengthens your critical thinking skills
Like this article describes, reading literature is an excellent way to strengthen your critical thinking skills. While you read, you problem solve. You try to put two and two together to solve the mystery. You dig into the motivations behind a character. This, plus the analysis that you do, helps you to improve those important critical thinking skills!
#5: It helps to improve empathy
When you spend some time in someone else’s shoes, you must look at things from their perspective, as stated above. Beyond that, however, you must determine a character’s motivations and figure out what makes them them. This, in turn, forces you to exercise your empathy muscle. You see things from other people’s points of view and do emotional detective work–both critical to building empathy.
#6: It increases your vocabulary
This is understandable. The more you read, the more words you come across. Whether through explicitly looking them up or using context to determine the meaning, you figure out what the word means. Then, as you see it more often, it sticks in your head. Eventually, you use it yourself.
And voila. It’s important to study literature to expand your vocabulary and rock those essays.
#7: It can de-stress you
This article discusses how reading can lower stress levels. It provides an escape and an opportunity to use your imagination. But there’s more! It can also help you to sleep better, lower your heart rate, and provide a form of meditation.
Especially as our daily stressors continue to increase, it’s critical to have an outlet. Reading literature is a fantastic one to indulge in, because even in short amounts, it will help you out.
#8: It can improve your concentration and focus
It’s important to study literature because it helps with a critical problem we’re facing today: social media. With all of the short-form videos and constant inputs of social media, our attention spans and memories are growing shorter and shorter. Because of that, it is critical to read literature. Not only does it make your brain actually work, but it also allows you to focus on one thing (and remember it) for a prolonged period of time without a ton of distractions. I don’t just say this as someone who loves and teaches literature, but as someone else navigating the technology-life balance: it’s important to study literature because it will literally help your basic cognition.
Plus, it may help to battle dementia when done consistently!
A Final Word
There are several reasons why it’s important to study literature, and these just graze the surface. Whether you want to improve yourself, lower your stress, or build your knowledge bank, it’s an excellent way to spend your time.
What benefits have you seen from reading and studying literature? Let me know below!
