Response: Old Literature

In response to Emily Boughton's post "I'm Not Listening" (February 7, 2012):
I agree that people do frequently dismiss the views of others with whom they disagree on some point or another, often when they would be better off listening to the rest of those views.  I also think that this mode of thought can extend to literature.  In Wednesday's class we spoke for a short while about the book Robinson Crusoe, which was published in the 1700s and contained a large number of ideas and views that most people today regard as backward and, in some cases, repellent.  Yet the book also contains a great deal of insight about human nature, pleasant prose, and a story which some consider to be quite thrilling if they can get past the outdated views which permeate the text.

In fact, a large portion of literature written long ago expresses views that offend many modern readers, and sadly, this can sometimes cause such readers to dismiss it out of hand as 'bad' and totally worthless - much as they might dismiss another person who supported some view they objected strongly to.  I think that this is definitely a mistake.  Old literature can, and often does, contain information which can be both fascinating and relevant even today.