Why Classic Literature Matters in a World on Fire
The world feels like it’s unraveling. Authoritarianism tightens its grip, racism and xenophobia boil over, and the rights of women and LGBTQ individuals are under relentless attack. In the face of such turmoil, it’s natural to wonder: what’s the point of reading a novel by a man who’s been dead for a hundred years? Why turn to the past when the present screams for our attention?
But here’s the truth: classic literature isn’t an escape from the chaos of today—it’s a mirror held up to it. The struggles of the past are not so different from the struggles of the present. The same questions about power, identity, justice, and humanity that fueled the imaginations of writers like Dickens, Tolstoy, or Dostoevsky are the same questions we grapple with today. These authors wrote about worlds on fire, too—worlds torn apart by inequality, prejudice, and uncertainty. And in their stories, we find not just reflections of our own struggles but timeless wisdom to guide us through them.
Classic literature reminds us that the battles we fight today are not new. Racism, sexism, and authoritarianism have always threatened humanity, and the greatest writers of the past shed light on these injustices with unflinching clarity. Their works are not dusty relics but living, breathing explorations of what it means to be human. They teach us resilience, empathy, and the enduring power of hope.
Reading the classics isn’t about retreating into the past; it’s about arming ourselves for the future. These stories show us how ordinary people resisted oppression, challen
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