What If You’re Not ‘Smart Enough’ to Read the Classics? (Spoiler: You Are)

Summary

In this video, the speaker reflects on their challenging experiences with an unkind English teacher who belittled their abilities and made them feel incapable of tackling 'difficult' books. The speaker discusses how these early experiences, tied to classism and neurodivergence, shaped their relationship with literature. Despite being discouraged, they eventually pursued a PhD in classical literature. The speaker emphasizes that challenging texts are not inherently 'hard' but require time, curiosity, and an open mindset, and urges viewers to reject academic gatekeeping that discourages engagement with these texts.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker reflects on their past experience with an English teacher who belittled them and others, making them feel inadequate due to a learning disability that went undiagnosed at the time.
• 📚 The speaker shares a personal anecdote of stealing *The Grapes of Wrath* from the school library after enduring years of mockery and discouragement from the teacher, who thought the speaker was incapable of reading such a book.
• 🔑 Despite being discouraged by their teacher and others, the speaker pursued English literature and went on to complete a PhD in Classics, proving that the texts were not as hard as others had made them out to be.
• 🎓 The speaker emphasizes that the idea of 'hard' texts is often a form of gatekeeping used by those who want to maintain a sense of superiority, particularly in the context of classics and high literature.
• 💡 The speaker highlights that many texts labeled as 'difficult' are actually just challenging puzzles that require time, patience, and research rather than inherent intelligence or advanced skills.
• 🎭 The script critiques the elitist attitude towards literature, where those with a background in 'high culture' or from privileged social classes tend to look down on others, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy.
• 🔍 The idea that working-class students, as well as those from marginalized or neurodivergent backgrounds, are often discouraged or made to feel inferior by teachers, creating lasting effects on their engagement with literature and academic subjects.
• 📚 The speaker draws on academic perspectives, citing research by Professor Diana Ray on how working-class students experience educational inequality, leading to a disconnect with the dominant culture in schooling systems.
• 🎓 The notion that challenging texts are sometimes gatekept in academia, with those who have never engaged with certain works discouraging others from attempting them, is discussed in the context of both the classics and modern literature.
• 📖 The speaker advises readers not to fear challenging texts but to approach them with curiosity and a willingness to explore, as engaging with difficult works can lead to personal growth and intellectual enjoyment.

Q & A

What was the main reason the speaker felt compelled to confess to a crime in the video?

The speaker confesses to stealing a library book, 'The Grapes of Wrath,' as an act of rebellion against a patronizing teacher who belittled them and other students, especially for their struggles with reading.

How did the speaker's English teacher contribute to their negative experience with literature?

The teacher mocked the speaker and others for making mistakes, often laughing at their errors, which caused embarrassment and reinforced the belief that they were incapable of reading difficult texts. This treatment was especially damaging as the speaker was unaware of their dyslexia at the time.

Why does the speaker feel that certain texts are gatekept in academia?

The speaker believes that texts are often labeled as 'too hard' or 'impossible to understand' by those who haven't actually read them, in order to maintain an elitist barrier and prevent others from engaging with them, particularly those from working-class or neurodivergent backgrounds.

What is the significance of the speaker's personal academic journey, especially regarding dyslexia?

The speaker's academic success, particularly in studying classic literature at a PhD level, is framed not as a sudden increase in intelligence, but as the result of discovering that challenging texts were not as difficult as people had told them, often due to gatekeeping and misconceptions about their capabilities.

How does the speaker define 'challenging' texts, and how does this differ from the term 'hard' texts?

The speaker prefers the term 'challenging' over 'hard' because 'challenging' refers to texts that require more time and effort to understand, but are still accessible with patience and research, whereas 'hard' implies something impenetrable and nearly impossible to read.

What role does class play in the speaker's reflection on education and literature?

The speaker reflects on how their working-class background affected their treatment in school, where they and others from similar backgrounds were often underestimated by teachers. This class bias contributed to the perception that certain texts were only for an elite group, further alienating those from poorer families.

What is the 'Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction' theory mentioned in the video?

The theory, as outlined by Pierre Bourdieu, suggests that educational institutions reproduce societal hierarchies by favoring the dominant culture, which results in social and cultural inequalities. The speaker uses this theory to explain how certain cultural and intellectual practices are inaccessible to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

How does the speaker address the misconception that only scholars or those fluent in Latin and Greek can understand classical texts?

The speaker argues that one does not need to read classical texts in their original languages or be a scholar to understand them. They emphasize that with curiosity, time, and external resources like Google or annotated editions, anyone can engage with challenging literature.

What is the speaker's stance on the idea of intelligence and reading difficult texts?

The speaker rejects the idea that reading difficult texts requires superior intelligence. Instead, they believe it’s about persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to engage with complex ideas. They emphasize that enjoying dense texts doesn't make someone more intelligent than those who struggle with them.

Why does the speaker mention the work of Bell Hooks in relation to their academic journey?

The speaker references Bell Hooks to highlight how gatekeeping in academia is often tied to class biases. Hooks discusses how certain knowledge and intellectual spaces are reserved for those from privileged backgrounds, making it harder for people like the speaker to access and succeed in these areas.