Reflections of Required High School Readings

If there is one thing you can’t escape in high school, it’s English class. In my high school, and for most high schools across Canada, English is the only course required for all four years. A crucial part of English class is always required readings, be it short stories, poetry, novels, or plays. While high school English is now a thing of my past, I’ve reflected on some of the more notable works I’ve read over the years.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a science fiction novel that was published in 1985. It is set in the future and follows a young, gifted boy named Ender who is recruited by the military to help defend humanity against an impending attack by an alien species. I read this book when I was in grade nine as a part of an English class book club. While I am usually not the biggest fan of science fiction, Ender’s Game featured intriguing characters and put forth thought-provoking moral dilemmas. One aspect of the story that I found very interesting was its exploration of the way pressure can impact children. The main character, Ender, is highly intelligent and talented, and this is very successful at the military academy he is sent to. This also means, however, that an immense amount of pressure is put on Ender to perform and serve humanity. Throughout the course of the book, the reader is able to witness how this pressure shapes Ender, and in many ways, takes his innocence. Further, this idea of pressure is a concept that high school students can truly connect to their own lives, making the book feel relevant. Overall, I believe Ender’s Game did a good job of crafting an apocalyptic world and involves themes and characters that young readers are able to relate to.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, is a classic and widely recognized piece of literature that I read as a part of my grade ten English class. This novel told from the perspective of a young girl named Scout Finch, navigates racism in southern society. It simultaneously follows the stories of the children and the adults in Maycomb, Alabama. Scout, her brother, and their friend go on adventures and try to learn more about their mysterious, reclusive neighbour. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, is appointed as the defense lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape. I found the choice of Scout as narrator to be really interesting, as it allowed the novel to delve into “adult” topics through the eyes of a child. Since the story was told from such an innocent perspective, it allowed the reader to gain insight into why the town was as it was and the people within it behaved as they did. This perspective was not so naïve, however, that it prevented the book from communicating the horrors and detrimental impacts of racism. I found all of the characters, both the heroes and the villains, to be very well developed and with clear goals and motivations. I love character-driven storylines, so I really appreciated this aspect of the novel. Despite the fact that To Kill a Mockingbird was published nearly sixty years ago, I believe it remains an important piece of literature given today’s sociopolitical climate and how the content of the novel can spark important discussions surrounding prejudice and race.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and notable works. Originally published in 1597, it follows the story of two young lovers from feuding families in Verona and the consequences of their forbidden affair. I read this play as a part of the grade ten English curriculum. Most high school students, myself included, were first exposed to Shakespeare’s work in English class. Shakespeare’s writing can be difficult to navigate, especially if it is something you are unfamiliar with. Learning how to understand this new language can be very rewarding, however, and it was something that I personally found exciting to explore. Further, since Romeo and Juliet is a play and not a traditional novel, I found it exciting to read given my personal interest in theatre. In terms of plot, Romeo and Juliet offered a lot to unpack. I really enjoyed that the characters and their storylines gave insight to the social climate at the time, and allowed me to contemplate the social, religious, and political context of the story. Since Romeo and Juliet is such a famous play, there exist many other works based off of it. In my English class, we watched clips of a number of film interpretations of the story. It was really interesting to have the opportunity to see how the original play had been translated into various movies, and specifically, for me, how the aesthetic world of Romeo and Juliet had been crafted by each filmmaker. It was also intriguing to analyze how the script had been edited and adapted from the original so that it would work for a film. I truly enjoyed Romeo and Juliet, and given that it is a classic play that has had a profound influence on the creation of so many other works, I believe that it is something everyone should read at least once.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I had the opportunity to experience Shakespeare yet again in grade eleven English class when I read Macbeth. This play follows the power-hungry Macbeth, whose life spirals into murderous disarray as he pursues a prophecy that he will become king of Scotland. I really enjoyed the imagery and atmosphere that this piece conjured. Our final project in this class was to create a storyboard for a movie adaptation of a scene from Macbeth, and I loved working on that project because creating a clear, immersive visual world from the play felt so effortless. I also enjoyed how the play blurred the lines between reality and a magical dream state, particularly with the presence of the three witch characters who guide Macbeth throughout his downfall. In comparison to Romeo and Juliet, which was grounded in humanity and reality, I thought the incorporation of mysticism and magic made for a very interesting storyline. Macbeth features some very notable and well-written monologues, so it was exciting getting to experience these snippets of the play in particular. While Macbeth was yet again a writing of Shakespeare and thus yet again difficult to navigate at times, on the whole, it was an intriguing piece to delve into.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My grade eleven English class also gave me the opportunity to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This novel follows the story of a young boy named Amir from Kabul, Afghanistan, and his relationships with his father and his best friend, Hassan. The Kite Runner does address very serious subject matter, and it is certainly not a “light” read. The characters and their relationships with one another are very well developed, and I found it easy to become invested in each character and their goals. Even when the main characters make mistakes or questionable judgments, specifically, the characters of Amir and his father, it is possible to sympathize with them and understand their motivations. The novel spans Amir’s childhood and adulthood and does a wonderful job of tying everything from the past and present together. As time progresses, so does the setting, given that Amir moves from Afghanistan to the United States. It was very enlightening watching how Amir and his father changed as characters parallel to this massive change in their lives. The Kite Runner offers a lot to analyze, from sociopolitical commentary to an exploration of spirituality, to themes of deception and familial secrets. Despite the fact that the circumstances of these characters were quite different from my own, this book truly made me reflect on the relationships in my life and how I was valuing and treating those I love. It also caused me to contemplate greater themes in the context of the world at large, including youth, belonging, status, love, and loyalty, among many others.

While some high school readings may seem mundane or daunting, I truly feel as though I’ve gained a lot from the works I’ve had to read over the years for English class. To anyone in high school dreading all the books, you have to read, keep your head up! You might not love them all, but I do believe there can be a lot of learning and enjoyment gained from these curriculum-required readings.