It’s a common thought students from elementary to high school have loathed their summer reading assignments for as long as they have been assigned. Summer break, an idealized three-month stretch where a student’s only responsibilities are relaxing and staying cool, is held to such a high standard that any perversion of it is considered sacreligious. To destroy the sanctity of the summer is an offense to children everywhere, fighting the good fight for their right to a lazy homeostasis.
However, as society faces a literary crisis – the ever-present generative AI being an advocate for anti-intellectualism – it is important now more than ever that young people continue to read and think critically year-round. Most students consider reading to be a chore, a fault not of theirs necessarily but largely having to do with the modern education system. Rigid, inflexible assessments like tests and pop quizzes detract from the purpose of literature by removing the interpretive element of reading. Roland Barthes, famed literary theorist, proposed that the most important part of literary analysis is not what one perceives to be the author’s intended meaning but instead the personal takeaways of the reader. To students, this concept is foreign; they are trained to see one correct answer and leave no room for an individualistic take on a piece of literature. Facts are memorized and, much too often, books are not even read– simply summarized and put into bullet points. The feeling and soul of poetry and prose are not even given the chance to shine through.
Reading in the summertime offers a unique chance to take a novel at one’s own pace, free from the limitations of the classroom. Students may find that, if they allow it to be, reading can be a comfortable and enjoyable pastime instead of an institutional shackle which weighs them down. Even if reading materials are assigned to students, the exposure to the literature is entirely up to the reader – whether at night before bed or in the mornings at a favorite café – one is able to romanticize the time spent reading to best suit their personal taste and comfort zone. Ultimately, the goal of summer reading assignments is to encourage students to read on their own time. There is much benefit to a taste for reading, at the very least discovering a favorite book or genre; developing personal taste, strengthening critical thinking skills, and gaining empathy and new perspectives on the world are among the myriad of superpowers reading provides. Conversations become easier as readers gain new ways to express themselves. Real world situations become easier to grasp and relate to when previously introduced in literature. Truly, there is nothing to lose by picking up a book, especially in a world where free thought and empathy are commodities. By losing the will to engage in literature, which is art, the will to be human is lost in tandem.