Everyday in school i hear students wine about reading. Whenever asked to read, even for only a few minutes, they have the same severely disgruntled, grammatically abysmal response. “Why i got to read? reading aint done nothin’ fo’ me!” The implications of their responses aside, there are a lot of reasons why we should read. These people just don’t realize how important reading is. Instead of appreciating reading for what a cornerstone of modern society it is, they insist that they can get the same from television, or the internet, and suggest that they’ll succeed by allowing information to be spoon-fed to them by the news, or Sparknotes.
All of modern history has been recorded as the written word. Writing is really our only solid, touchable link to the past, to where we came from. There’s nothing like leafing through a real book to get an impression of the past. No other media can truly accomplish a record like a book. Even though many authors have varying accounts of the same event, like, WWII, for instance (a German author would have a very different take than, say, an American). However, in film, the bias is much greater. Not only could a director have a different account of events, but he could mold history to fit into his own story’s genre, whether it be romance, comedy, or action. In short, the written word is the best media for recording events, from the fall of the Roman empire to the Iraq war. Besides recording factual events, the written word is also an excellent platform for many creative pieces.
I hate reading Faulkner as much as the next guy, but some works really are important. Take Shakespeare’s countless plays, for instance. Any educated person knows at least a brief account of Shakespear’s works. No Sparknotes article or Wikipedia summary can give someone the same knowledge as actually reading through a play can. Shakespeare’s language just can’t be duplicated into some bite-sized portion that most students seem to love. Even if Shakespeare isn’t for you, a countless number of epics concerning the very human experience have been written ages ago, and still contain relevance. These epics, like The Odyssey just can’t be converted into a blockbuster, despite many tries. Even still, some people still think they can just rely on condensed versions of these works, or TV programs, to keep them educated.
What many of these classmates of mine whom “Don’t see no point in reading” will soon come to realize is that, without some appreciation for reading, college will prove most difficult. That is, if these people can even get into a college. Ignoring those few illiterate people who luckily get into a college, even those whom are sentenced to flipping burgers for the rest of their lives will see the faults of not reading. Good luck understanding company policy and menus if you refuse to read. My fellow students are in for a harsh reality, whether it be in college or at McDonald’s about the ramifications of rejecting the written word.
Writing is one of the few great forms of ancient art still left in practice today. All it asks in return for giving us Shakespeare, or To Kill a Mockingbird is a little appreciation and respect. The best thing about literature is that there is something for everyone; love gossip, read a drama, action buff? Then read a war story, told by the very men who were there. I just wish that instead of complaining every time, few as there are, that people are asked to read, that they would at least give it a shot. If they don’t, they’re only shooting them selves in the foot, not to mention disrespecting generations before us.
