Publish at October 05 2014 Updated September 14 2023
Classics have incredible power. Just talking about them creates imagery in people's minds, even if they've never heard or read them. That's the beauty of them; they've tainted culture so much that today, everyone has learned - unconsciously or not - parts of these works. Sometimes, they are referenced or literally taken up in other, more contemporary creations.
But in a digital age, where today's phenomenon becomes obsolete a few weeks later, is it still possible to teach the classics? In the spring of 2014, Quebec daily Le Devoir looked at Quebecers' relationship with the classics, including in the education system.
In the past, "classic" meant something that was taught in class. A novel therefore fell into this category when it was borrowed by the national education system. They were often chosen for their enduring appeal. Thus, most Greek and Roman authors whose works had survived the ages became classics. Today, although the definition is still open to debate, it remains much the same: classics are works that have managed to stand the test of time.
What's fascinating, as professor and director of French-language literature Benoît Melançon points out, is that most of the works that are now part of the national or world heritage often didn't have this aura at the time. Flaubert's Madame Bovary, for example, told a fairly banal story: an adulteress in the provinces who's tired of her existence. Yet the French writer never passes judgment on his heroine's actions, for good or ill. An immense contrast with other authors of his time, and one that provoked numerous negative reactions.
But what about the life of the classics in the classroom today? They're still there, and Swiss booksellers and others have shown that schools are still the biggest "consumers" of classics. For teachers, these masterpieces are the glue that holds teenagers together as adults in the making. Except that it seems very difficult to interest them in this literature, which is certainly rich, but which seems outdated. Obviously, in today's more secular societies, the moral issues raised in Madame Bovary seem very dated.
But there are ways of teaching the classics without eliciting only jaded reactions. Quebec teachers have shared their tips. Some embellish discussions of the work with humorous historical anecdotes, or simply anecdotes representative of the period, so that young people understand the context in which the novel was published. The use of humor and references to contemporary works are also very effective.
Another way to interest students is to draw parallels between the work and their own lives. Another technique used by Swiss teachers is to show teenagers that the classics deal with themes that can relate to their everyday lives. These books or plays speak of love, friendship, sexuality, the desire to stand out from the crowd and so on. All themes that captivate young men and women who are already looking for them in more modern reading.
So there's a way to teach young people about the classics, to get them interested in these works that have stood the test of time. For beneath their backward-looking exterior, they conceal themes that are resolutely topical even in 2014, those intrinsically linked to human feelings. Those feelings remain, whatever the era or social context. So, teachers, go ahead and pick your classics to share again and again!
Illustration: cdrummbks via photopin cc
References:
Gervais, Lisa-Marie. "Petit précis d'enseignement des classiques." Le Devoir. Last updated May 17, 2014. http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/408563/petit-precis-d-enseignement-des-classiques.
La Tribune de Genève. "Literary masterpieces continue to be read... and sold." Marianne Pages. Last updated: April 28, 2014. http://www.mariannegrosjean.com/2014/04/les-chefs-d%E2%80%99oeuvre-de-la-litterature-continuent-de-se-lire%E2%80%A6-et-de-se-vendre/.
Lalonde, Catherine. "Faire ses classiques." Le Devoir. Last updated: May 17, 2014. http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/livres/408438/faire-ses-classiques.
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