First off I will start with the article “Dumbing Down American Readers” written by a Yale University professor, Harold Bloom. Bloom argues that excellent literature has declined over the past 50 years. One thing is for certain, Literature has never declined. I disagree with that statement because it is just an opinion. What Bloom is saying is not necessarily true. Over fifty years ago, very few families owned a television set because of the expensive pricing. If people wanted to be entertained back in those days, they read classic literature just to kill time. In fact, people still enjoy classic literature just as much as the Americans did back 50 years ago. I think that Americans are more cultured today than they were 50 years ago, this having to do with competition for novels, fiction, and literature. Of course many Shakespearean plays have been in motion picture format. It is not the same as the original play itself. Books like the Harry Potter series, often uses some weird language that cannot be understood. Some unusual slang is often in modern day novels. When you read any type of book, you are able to see what the writer is talking about. The saying is; the more you can read the more you will learn. This saying is true. If the people had never read a book while they were young, then they will never appreciate good literature. When that is the case, they were never taught to read from child hood. If they read any type of book, then they may be able to enjoy literature. I do not think that the argument cannot be proven at all.
July 2, 2009
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