School has begun. Just as I look forward to the ending of a semester, I also happily anticipate the beginning of a new semester. Classes started on Wednesday and I've met with Comp and World Lit students. In World Lit I asked my students to write a page or two on this question: why should we study world literature? Some of their answers were very insightful. I'll share a few of them with you here. I'm paraphrasing!
When we read about other cultures and other time periods, we learn about not just about those people, but we learn about ourselves.
Reading about long-ago time periods can help students escape the pressures of modern-day technological society. Reading about a time without cell phones and computers, or even electricity, can provide a much needed respite from the stresses of everyday life.
Learning about other religious traditions can make us more tolerant and understanding, which is important in the society we live in where many religions are practiced.
The journey we take by reading a book or story could change how we see the world.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment