Today, many authors lend their voices to education when they tell stories – fictional or otherwise – that lead students to think deeper about life. Some stories are life-changing when they throw us out of our comfort zones into places we may never have seen ourselves going. Thoughts on race, religion, culture, and other random things that happen in the world challenge and change us exponentially. There are the usual academic classics by George Orwell, James Joyce, and the likes, but newer books challenge the way students write and think.
Why Literature Matters
A class that reads short stories appreciates the complex nature of life, especially when it relates to different subjects. The students get literature essay ideas when they have to write their own, and they are also forced to think a little deeper when they write assignments or exams. There are so many essays on literature examples at Writix, making it easy to access any topic when you are writing your own. Most such samples are not straightforward, making for the most intriguing discussion in class and outside. Any tutor will agree that a charged audience is always fun to teach.
Apart from making a lesson enjoyable, teaching a short story also keeps a teacher on their toes. There are so many classics that people tend to fall back on because they are the ideal literature for growing the mind, but you will be surprised at what the current contemporary writer has to offer. Young students have their pulse on society and relate to an author who addresses what today’s community needs. Therefore, tutors are pushed to get out of their comfort zones to check out current authors with their radical thoughts, in the process growing their minds and those of their students.
Here are some stories with lessons for high school, college, and university students.
Men Without Women – Haruki Murakami
The men in this book are a sad bunch. They have lost their women to different causes, so the writer paints a gloomy picture of each of them. Not only is this easy to read for any level, but it also has the ideal short story for students because each chapter – and they areal pleasantly short – leaves you wondering about your happiness. The stories are so relatable because these characters are not the most eccentric or unreachable. Actually, you may align a story with a person known to you. The style is easy, and this book should catch the attention of a Ph.D. student, too, since it is so interesting and relatable.
Cell One – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This story is derived from is That Thing Around Your Neck, which tells stories on politics, family, marriage, and society. The center of this particular chapter is on equality between siblings and how parents relate to their kids, which is relatable to anyone with parents or siblings. Whether you are a graduate or a teen in any grade in high school, you will have things to say about those that share your house when you live at home. Cell One is a relatively short and easy read, so you can start and finish in a few hours. Most students don’t care for long, complex reads.
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Once – Morris Gleitzman
Set in Nazi-infested Europe, this is the tale of a young Jewish boy traversing Poland searching for his parents. Gleitzman holds nothing back as he tells the tales of those who lived in one of the most painful periods in the history of the world. It would appeal to a degree student or someone in the course of their diploma because of the richness of the stories that solidify some of the things we read in history books. Though this one is fictional, the events happened, and almost every part of this piece is heart-wrenching. Readers are left with remorse and resentment for those who hurt others for reasons they have little control over.
How to Be an Other Woman – Lorrie Moore
When the words ‘other woman’ are mentioned, most people think of infidelity, one of the labels that Moore addresses in her collection, Self-Help, where this particular piece is from. What makes it interesting? The tales Moore tells while hilariously mocking self-help books. This is not exactly one to read for an exam or faculte discussion, but it enriches a reader’s mind with the realities of life. You learn of mistakes you are likely to make in your career, and when you dig into the humor, you will find solutions to life’s challenges.
Conclusion
Each short story and long novel with moral lessons is an incentive for those going through challenging times in their lives. These stories will either change how you see society or push you to address some of your shortcomings. Most students need to write an essay more than once a term for their coursework, and such stories will give them something challenging to work with. The learning in these stories does not end at the library: it continues in life if you are keen when reading them for your class. It also makes your contribution in conversations rich when you meet with other people outside of school.