MMy husband and I recently returned from the University of Illinois. We went to hear the dissertation defense of our youngest daughter. She now has a PhD in comparative literature. Her dissertation was about Medea and Antigone in Latin America and North America, neoliberalism, reproductive rights, and migration. It doesn’t matter much if you know a lot or a little about these ancient Greek tragedies. What struck me is the connection my daughter has made to these women, and how alive they are in social and political life and literature in the Americas.
I mention these ancient, mythical women and their enduring influence to say that literature is important. Reading fiction is important. I think we do young people – and probably society in general – a disservice when we place more emphasis on STEM subjects in school than the arts (including literature). While this message is subtle, I feel like it creeps in. When students and parents get the impression that the only meaningful education is in science, technology, engineering and math, then we redefine education, and instead of education, it becomes training.
Companies are being asked to design their curriculum to meet their needs. College and professional preparation. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—we should definitely be thinking about the job market and jobs of the future—but we tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater in this country. If a salad is good, we make it a salad bar. If a meal is satisfying, we make it an all-you-can-eat meal! And more! If a vitamin supplement might help, we make it an entire store with supplements galore! Let’s call kids “scholars” and college students “customers,” as if just saying so could make it so. Let’s marginalize fiction, art, music, and theater, just as we marginalized recess a few years ago to make time for “more serious” pursuits. Now we know how important recess is to physical AND mental health, but it can be difficult to undo that. Will we have the same problem if we prefer STEM over fiction?
Sometimes something can become a kind of truth if you repeat it often enough. STEM education is important, but not at the expense of giving children a well-rounded education. Reading entire works (not just excerpts to answer multiple choice questions on tests) allows students, even very young children, to recognize emotions, empathize with others, and learn about people around the world. Years ago, I taught a Junior Great Books class before my children’s school. We read legends and stories from other cultures. Uninfluenced by concern for “right” answers, the children had amazing discussions. Their little brains were working, making connections, and developing ideas. I dare say they learned to listen to each other and be kind to each other. There is research to show that reading fiction is good for the brain, no matter how old you are.
Aside from the fact that reading fiction is good for cognitive development, it can also be good for students’ identity and self-esteem, because I’m not just talking about reading the works of white, male authors. Authors or characters who are of different races, genders, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations or identities convey to children and young people that they are important. her Experiences are worth reading, exploring and discussing. This is why we must fight against the banning of books in schools. When I taught high school English, I saw this as a safe place for students to discuss ideas and differences in a respectful way.
Children and young people who aspire to a career in STEM or any other field benefit from reading and discussing what they read. They become more critical thinkers, question askers and decision makers. They feel more confident. Literature and art should not be the privilege of the privileged. We should not make assumptions about what a child will become. They can all benefit from a well-rounded education.
And even in STEM jobs, there are no guarantees. My son (who studied Spanish) works in the tech industry. He has a good job, but he also tells me that if he wanted to change jobs, it would be difficult. Companies aren’t hiring. If you’ve been reading the news over the past few years, you’ll know that tech companies have been laying off employees and that this trend is expected to continue. The company my son works for has made two major layoffs this year.
We can’t make any guarantees about future employment, or even the types of jobs. What we can know is that we’re all human. We can find joy, learn new things, and relieve stress by reading novels (hello, book clubs!). We can even improve our brains!
Medea and Antigone, those two ancient, tragic Greek women, are still alive—you can even find a version of Medea’s final monologue on YouTube, inspired by Tamika Mallory’s speech on the murder of George Floyd. The monologue is as relevant and moving today as it was when Euripides wrote it in 431 BC.
