Literature and Society: Making Connections

So far, this has been a pretty interesting year for politics. Certainly, young people are hearing many strong opinions regarding all types of social issues from the adults in their lives and from the media by which they are surrounded. What a perfect time this is for humanities teachers to bring our society’s continuing narrative to the forefront and show how literature relates to it. So much of our literary cannon touches on societal issues, many of which are still relevant in some form today. By setting the cultural framework for our students, we can bring these works to life. The Scarlet Letter, for instance, when looked at only as a period piece from the mid 1800’s seems stagnant and unrelatable to most students. Looked at while keeping in mind the struggle that cultural “outsiders” such as gays and lesbians face, however, and suddenly students begin to hear a story that applies to their immediate world. I think it is essential that those of us who teach the humanities continually draw parallels between the works we are presenting and what is happening in our society. Below I have listed a few English class mainstays and their general themes, and how they might apply to current issues. Creative teachers can do so much with these works and ultimately galvanize a student population that for too long has seen these narratives as stale and outdated.

The Great Gatsby
Themes: wealth, classism, social hierarchy, gender roles
Gatsby is relatable to many current societal issues. We certainly hear a great deal of political rhetoric dealing with the distribution of wealth and the “one percenters,” etc. This novel can provide a stark look into an America that, while often seen as superior, is quite different from the one in which the “average American” lives every day.

The Scarlet Letter
Themes: how religion informs social norms, views on sexual behavior, importance of tradition
It’s incredible how puritanical our society can be, even 166 years after this novel’s publication. We still tend to see “outliers” as threatening and not part of our mainstream culture, and while we may no longer brand people with red letters or utilize the pillory, we still witness the ostracization of many groups we deem “different.” There are so many ways that teachers can present this and that students can relate this to what they see regarding these ever more visible “fringe” groups in our country.

Macbeth
Themes: corruption caused by power, tyranny, how masculine roles influence behavior
“Power corrupts:” we’ve seen it over and over again; our history books are full of the stories. Macbeth is the quintessential story of power run amok. And if you think it’s too bloody to relate to our culture today, open a newspaper. There’s a lot here for students to experience if it’s presented in a timely way.

Lord of the Flies
Themes: loss of innocence, violence and savagery, division between good and evil
They may not say it directly, but politicians often simplify their positions down to an “us vs. them” definition, a “good vs. evil” mentality. Jack, much like Macbeth, longs for absolute power and creates an environment which pits the “good” against the “evil.” We are a culture that feels comfortable with clearly defined sides, and this novel shows what can happen when that approach is taken to the extreme.

The Grapes of Wrath
Themes: the reality of the American dream, the importance of family, the dignity of suffering, poverty, classism, labor
Jobs and family values: good luck getting through an election season without hearing about these. Steinbeck tackles both in his most famous novel. As we continue to try to reach the American dream, we continue to see how difficult, if not impossible, it really is. The Grapes of Wrath is simply a dust-bowl era rendition of making the best of a bad and worsening situation. But that struggle is very real even today, whether it’s through recession, depression, or growing lack of faith in our financial institutions. This novel hits so many of the concerns that the working class still feel very deeply today.

1984
Themes: totalitarianism, psychological control, institutional use/manipulation of language
I think the most startling aspect of this novel when it is looked at today is how much language and manipulation of information are increasingly a part of our culture. How information is presented to us, through what medium, and how reliable it is are real concerns for the average citizen. Orwell was quite prescient in his warning about how much “big brother” might be watching us.

Morrison, Baldwin, Lee, Walker, Ellison, et al
Much like sex, government, and religion, race is still an issue that permeates our society, whether we care to admit it or not. Some works of literature remain as timely today as when they were first penned. In presenting material that tackles the continuing issues surrounding equality, a teacher might look to some or all of the following: Beloved by Toni Morrison, Native Son and Black Boy by Richard Wright, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin. I truly feel that all of these books speak to a situation that still consumes our society today.

Without connections, it can be difficult for students to see the relevance of literature. Luckily, since so many of the archetypal themes of literature repeat themselves in our society, we can highlight and utilize the connections to make seemingly old, dusty irrelevant works come to life in students’ minds.

Written by Phil Lane