Why Read Literature?

by Faye C. Gage

I am always amazed that many of our youngsters have little or no idea why they are required to read literature during their twelve years of schooling. In fact, it is one of the few tasks that they are required to do from grades K-12. Why is this so pervasive a requirement? They often have no idea. For many students assigned reading is seen as sometimes entertaining, often boring, but almost always what they do last after they finish their "real" homework in math, history or science. Even foreign language study comes before the next chapter in the novel.

Listening to the radio plays has helped to change the attitudes of some of our students. Because these plays deal with so many gender issues, the youngsters wanted to begin the discussion with their observations on that topic. The talk about "The Yellow Wallpaper" started with issues of power, expectations people have about each other, roles we fall into, etc. The students were fascinated with how all the elements of the production supported the explorations of these questions. "A Jury of Her Peers" gave them even more food for thought about how the production issues, voices, timing, sound effects, etc., reinforced the idea of a world divided by gender. Although we went on to many other topics about these plays, the students were consistently making connections to their own lives, their roles, the expectations they recognized, and, too often, met regarding their "place" in the world. They were engaged in personal, constructive responses to the plays they were hearing.

These materials, while exciting for many reasons, are particularly appropriate in Connecticut. Our state test for high school sophomores is based on a reader-response, constructivist approach to literature, to construct meaning, to experience a vicarious reality. Because they are hearing the literature spoken, the issues seem more accessible and people in the stories more recognizable. In one class, a number of students offered friends and relatives who had lived out similar situations. Many youngsters connected the radio plays to larger questions of how men and women were represented in film, on television and in current literature.

Gender issues are only one aspect of these stories, but the question of "why do we read literature?" had more insightful and generous responses than usual after we had "studied" a number of the plays. Students realized they had not read much literature written by women; they saw historical issues and their relationship to current social conditions; and they realized the extent to which gender issues have influenced all our lives.

I am convinced that radio plays have an impact on students that is immediate, "rounded," and quite profound. The fact that these are particularly well produced and accompanied by excellent materials and an inspiring workshop makes them enormously valuable. The productions are highly effective in their recreation of the emotional intensity of the stories, and they bring alive experiences that resonate in many directions. The quality is inspiring. The next step for me is to have students create their own productions - a step they are eager to take.

I have begun teaching a course on Teaching Literature to Adolescents for both graduate and undergraduate students at a local university. I plan to use Scribbling Women as a major piece of the curriculum. This approach is one that is seldom discussed in teacher preparation classes and one that could have a strong impact on these young teachers. I'll keep you posted about how well it works.

Faye C. Gage is English, Reading and Language Arts Coordinator at Greenwich Public Schools, Connecticut. She is a member of the Scribbling Women Advisory Committee.

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