When Did They Stop?

       Since when did they stop teaching novels?

Since when did they start teaching for standardized tests?

To Kill A Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby.

Jane Austen, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain.

These novels and authors shaped society; so why is it that we must throw them out?

Is the content too "offensive" or "inappropriate" for school?

Or is it that society is so wrapped up in technology that they no longer care for classic novels?

Why is school now a place where they force you to read passages and answer mindless questions about them?

What happened to analyzing novels and learning writing styles from the greats?

Yes, I know that some novels are still taught, but why is it that their importance has fallen?

New generations come, but the greatest novels full of passion and figurative language shouldn't go.

Standardized tests teach us nothing; I take that back, they teach us not to care.

Reading novels like A Tale of Two Cities actually requires thought.

Oh goodness, thought? It seems like the plot of The Cure or Anthem. Ironic how I can relate that to novels, huh?

Failing to recognize these novels could be deterimental to progression as a society.

It may sound extreme, but novels shouldn't be tossed out; they should be cherished like the works of art that they are.

And if that isn't a good enough reason, I don't know what is.