As students, we are given countless of books to read each year. Many of which we immediately hate,and others that might have a good impact on us. I am somewhat of a history buff
and do enjoy reading about history. I think it is important to learn about history as you are simultaneously enhancing your reading and writing skills. I believe one of the best ways to
learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. I don’t
particularly like reading the books that are assigned except those that have a
historical aspect to it. Out of the many books I had to read for high school I
think The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
and Night are my favorite. I could read an entire textbook about American
History and be okay with it. However, I bet for those people that don’t like
history, textbooks would be the worst way to be taught. I consider one of the
best ways to learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. As
we talked about in class, the setting and historical aspect have a huge meaning
on a novel and it is important for us as the audience to appreciate it. Also, I
think it is difficult for textbooks to achieve understanding. I think it allows
the reader to grasp more of the everyday life of the time period. In textbooks,
it is mostly just facts and important events, whereas in literature there is an
actual story and potential for others to understand and/or relate to in a
deeper level. Overall, people would agree that they don’t like reading for
classes, especially those that they don’t have a particular interest for.
and do enjoy reading about history. I think it is important to learn about history as you are simultaneously enhancing your reading and writing skills. I believe one of the best ways to
learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. I don’t
particularly like reading the books that are assigned except those that have a
historical aspect to it. Out of the many books I had to read for high school I
think The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
and Night are my favorite. I could read an entire textbook about American
History and be okay with it. However, I bet for those people that don’t like
history, textbooks would be the worst way to be taught. I consider one of the
best ways to learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. As
we talked about in class, the setting and historical aspect have a huge meaning
on a novel and it is important for us as the audience to appreciate it. Also, I
think it is difficult for textbooks to achieve understanding. I think it allows
the reader to grasp more of the everyday life of the time period. In textbooks,
it is mostly just facts and important events, whereas in literature there is an
actual story and potential for others to understand and/or relate to in a
deeper level. Overall, people would agree that they don’t like reading for
classes, especially those that they don’t have a particular interest for.
The Great Gatsby, and the movie Midnight in Paris, both set in the 1920s
gave me an insight not only on how their everyday lives were, but how
interesting it would have been to live during that time period. Owen Wilson,
the main actor in the movie gets a chance to make his dream come true on a trip
to Paris. As he wanders the streets of Paris alone at midnight he gets picked up by an old-time motorcar that offers to give him a lift. As he gets in, he suddenly ends up partying with F. Scott
Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. As he slowly
realizes that he’s somehow been transported back to the Paris of the 1920s, he has
the rare opportunity to talk to his literary heroes about his book. I agree with his idea that the past seems so more vivid and substantial, than the present, but it
vanishes as soon as the cold touch of reality hits. Perhaps the reason why the
good old days are so alluring is because we were not around, however much we
wish we were.
Even though historical novels may be mainly fiction
and the movies don’t exactly envision the real setting and or historical
background, I think it is still cool to see how easily we can be pulled towards
perhaps envisioning ourselves in that time. Or maybe I’m the only who feels
this way.
Help me out guys, my questions for you are, first,
would you rather learn about history through a textbook or through literature? Additionally,
is there any historical time period that you particularly enjoy reading about? Why
might this be? If you could choose any era to live in or just visit which would
it be and why? Is there any particular movie, book, music, fashion that draws
you to that time period? For example any decade in the twentieth century,
Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or it could even be more like Harry Potter, the
age of dinosaurs, or the future.
Image Source:http://shelbyhistory.tripod.com/id81.html
I would much rather learn about history through literature. I have never been an avid reader, and I definitely have never been a history buff. However, reading historical non fiction novels, or even fiction with fact, can be fascinating sometimes. I do think that some things must be learned from textbooks though. For example, by reading Anne Frank, one cannot possibly understand or grasp every bit of information about World War II. The only historical time period I particularly enjoyed learning about was Ancient Mesopotamia, Sumer, and Ancient Greece. We learned about Sumer and Mesopotamia in sixth grade, and my teacher was the best. I think that’s the only reason I enjoyed it so much! Ancient Greece is exciting because I’ve always been interested in Greek mythology. Hercules helped that!
ReplyDeleteI don’t like reading about facts or reading through literature, but if I had to choose I would definitely choose the history book. I’ve never been good at English so if I can avoid it completely I would do that. I do like learning about the late 1900s. Because I am so evolved into technology, I like to read about times when people didn’t have an iphone to play with or their computer screen to entertain them. I want to know what they did for fun and how they went about going through their lives with such little ways of communication. The counter-culture also interests me. Since I wasn’t really there to see what it was like the only image I have to go off of is Forest Gump. I liked that movie and it made me want to live there. I don’t think I was born in the wrong time era but if there was this crazy way to live in another one, I would choose the 70s and 80s.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn about history through literature because it is a more interesting perspective on history. I like reading a story and not a bunch of facts listed on a page about history.
ReplyDeleteAs for a time period that I particularly enjoy, I am not sure because I do not find history interesting, but if I had to pick a time period it would be the early colonial times in America because I enjoy hearing about the terminology used in that time period along with the manners, clothing, etc. If I could visit an era, it would be when Jesus walked the earth in order to talk to and learn from Him in order to be able to better understand the Bible.
I love learning about history through literature rather than from a text book. I don't have a particular time era i would choose to live in but i love reading about different times from the past. I think that it is easier for a writer to sit and paint a picture out of words for a novel than it is for historians to just list all the facts in a text book. No one really wants to learn about things in lists and facts but it is much more entertaining and i think that it is easier to visualize and imagine the times while reading a novel.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning about history through a novel. I am not a fan of inaccuracies which are common amongst historical novels, but then again the purpose of a historical novel is not to give you a history lesson. For example, I loved reading Ernest Hemingway's memoir A Moveable Feast because it talked about F. Scott and Zelda and his own wife Hadley. It described them in ways a history text book could not because it was a first hand account from Hemingway. If I could go back to any time period it would be the 1950's. I love the clothing style, the interior designs and overall look and feel of society. I think Mad Men does a very good job of highlighting these things in the late 1950's and early 1960's.
ReplyDeleteI like learning about history through literature. I love reading about the 1920's up to the 60's or books about the future such as Fahrenheit 451 or Brave New World. History is much more interesting when a subplot can be added to the story. The little history I know was mostly reinforced by literature. If all textbooks could be like novels I would pass every class.
ReplyDeleteI think that history books are the best way to learn about history. I have had trouble in the past understanding some of the literature that I have had to read for different classes. I would have liked to have lived in the mid 1900's because everything seemed to be much simpler then, and there was a lot less to worry about. Plus, I also love the cars from that time period and I would have loved to have owned one when it was brand new.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn history through a text book. I believe this is the most accurate method of learning about history. I would like to live in the future. As if I'm not lazy enough, I would like to live in a time where everything was just so much easier. Self-automated everything. I would just relax and coast through life. I also imagine everything will be much healthier and advanced medically. Basically a stress free world. I can only hope.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely want to learn about history through literature. I don’t really like history to begin with, and reading a textbook would be torture for me, but if I did have to read it, I would prefer it to be in a story. The time period that I would be the most interested in visiting and/or living in would be the Ancient Greeks and Romans. For some reason I just really like that sort of stuff since I’m a big Greco-Roman mythology buff. That’s why I really loved reading the Percy Jackson books because it put classical mythology in a modern setting and it really helped me to retain the names of the gods and heroes because they were used in a context that I understood and remembered better.
ReplyDeleteEven after watching Midnight In Paris, I still wish I could live in the twenties. The lesson didn't exactly get through to me. After I read The Great Gatsby, I too wanted to live in the twenties and ever since then have been obsessed with the nostalgia of the time period. It's no wonder hipsters are popping up everywhere like scene kids did years ago. Because we are tired of today, we're tired of the culture of post-modern america. In the 60's, the vintage lifestyle was just as illustrious as it is now. Though it wasn't vintage at the time, it was adored just the same.
ReplyDeleteNow that my rant is through, I think literature could easily teach history because of the nostalgia of the past. Imagine history books that catered to time periods wither it was in the same time period or set in the future. We could have a mix between fiction and non-fiction. The only problem is you would need to create a system of understanding between the two. Also, even if we made the discrepency, people will still mistake fiction for fact.
I would want to learn history through a textbook. I like textbooks, I find them easier to read and I seem to understand the material better. History is one of my least favorite subjects, but If I had the choice to live in a different era, it would probably be Ancient Greek and Romans. I love greek mythology, I find it so fascinating! So I think it would be awesome to be able to learn the myths first hand and to wear the clothing.
ReplyDeleteI like learning about history through both mediums. Textbooks are useful because they provide straight, objective facts of events. I like learning through literature also because a lot of the books that are based on historic events have a more personal, subjective feel to it and give me as a reader the opportunity to see each historical events through different points of view. For me, the most interesting historic era is WWII. I love reading about everything that took place during it, from Hitler's rise to power, to accounts of the prisoners in the camps, to military tactics.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is almost more beneficial to learn about history through novels. Textbooks will always be used as an assett to understanding the timeline and locatiobn of events, but novels help the student to really understand what life was like in those events and make it relatable to the reader. I am really intrested in the fortys and fiftys, but it is way easier to understand how the historical events taking place at that time were played out through the life of someone who lived it instead of from just a list of facts.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn history through literature as well. Though I love facts - I adore history - I would rather see how a person living around that time perceived their lives.
ReplyDeleteFor the next cluster of questions, I would say either the 1800s with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian Era, or the 1920s. For the first, my main push factor would be the technology, fashion, and the creation of the genre of Steampunk. For the latter, my reasons include the music and the major movements that shaped our country nowadays.
Personally, I have no preference in the way that I learn history. Textbooks offer many additional features that literature does not, however literature also goes more in-depth. If I could visit any era throughout American history it would be the time period of the American Revolution. Watching the movie The Patriot really interested me in their time frame and how they lived their daily lives.
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn about history through literature, because I think I would be able to learn more about each era that way, unfortunately that would add up to being quite a bit of reading while text books summarize a lot of events pretty well. Though it would be more enjoyable to learn history through literature, it probably wouldn't be very practical. I love reading about the transition from the Middles Ages to Renaissance because it was a completely different world, and the European society completely changed. If I could visit any era, it would be Shakespearian times, because I loved reading his plays, and I would love to go and see some of them, and the world he lived in.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be easier for me to learn about history by using a texbook, all the facts would be stated and I can know what really happend. However litarature can be a good way for someone to really get more of an idea of what was happening back then. i would like to visit the future so I can see how advanced the world has become.
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ReplyDeleteI also enjoy history, I enjoy reading history text more than literature because you can pull more for the text than you can if the author had a difficult writing style like The Great Gasby. I do not have a particular time that draws to me at this point in my life. However I do like to think about the future, so reading about what authors think the future will be like is interesting. For example I enjoyed the book 1984.
ReplyDeleteI think literature would do a more efficient job on keeping me entertained. Learning about History through a textbook doesn't allow for students to become sucked into history's story. A textbook just gives the up straight facts leaving no room for an image to be created, whereas reading a literature book on history allows you to picture yourself in that period of time.
ReplyDeleteI would rather chose a text book. For me I like all my facts presented to me in an orderly manner. Usually literature is not direct, it goes into depth about a specific time and tells a story. I particularly enjoy learning and reading about the Tudor dynasty because of the tv series the Tudors that aired on showtime. I am obsessed with the fifties mainly because of Grease. I love the fashion from then and the cultural differences from today.
ReplyDeleteHistory is a lot easier to grasp through literature. Boring history books lose me and I retain barely any information. I could picture myself in a lot of different time periods, because I reach for fashion and clothes from various decades.
ReplyDeleteI would much rather read through history through a textbook because of the amount of accuracy that can be found in it. The particular era in time that I enjoy reading about is the period of the Korean war. As a Korean, I enjoy learning about my nation's history as well as it's development through time. If i was able to live in a certain era, it would definitely be in the era of the Civil Rights Movement because I am strongly against racism. I would love to have an opportunity to make a difference in the world just as my hero, Martin Luther King Jr., did. What draws me most to that period is the ridiculous amount of hate and racism I witness on a daily basis. We live in a multicultural society, and the hate and separation amongst races disgusts me.
ReplyDeleteI love reading and the only thing better than reading is reading historical fiction. Literature from WWII is my favorite era to read about because the stories are from history that happened not so long ago so they are relatable. I'm not sure what era i would like to live in but i think i would like to visit every era for a day just to see what things were really like. I like history in general so all eras interest me, i can't identify a singular thing that draws me to a single time period.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn history from literature than from a textbook. If a story is told and facts are laced through it then the majority of people will leanr those facts not because they want to, but because its part of the story. Honestly, learning history in a textbook isnt that bad. Yeah, it can be boring but sometimes the history is a story itself. I personally do not have a specific time or era that i would want to live in. I enjoy living right where I am today. I think that we all just want to live in different times because of what people have told us about that time. Our experiences wouldnt be the same if we actually lived during that time. Soon one day we will be telling people about 'the good old days' and we will refer to when we were growing up.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would absolutely love to learn about history through literature. I am one of those people who don't respond well when facts are being thrown at me. I also lose focus and get off track when I'm reading something I can't stand to read. Reading about history through literature brings an entirely different experience to the time period. The diction used helps your paint a picture of what that time period really was like. If i had to choose a specific time era to live in, it would be the 1940's.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn history through a textbook then through literature. To me the organization of a textbook makes learning history easier and there is likely less bias than would be in a book. The time period that I enjoy learning about most is WWII because of the heroics and the wide spectrum of battles (from the Pacific to Europe). If I could live in any period it would probably be the 50's. I've always admired the image of a white picket fence suburb and I have always wondered if there is any truth behind this image. Additionally, it could be interesting to live through the civil rights era and the constant threat of the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteI am someone who has to see history progress when reading a book. If I was forced to read literature throughout that era I don't feel as if I would grasp the entire history of it. When reading a textbook you are able to see how things progressed throughout the ages. A textbook allows you to read about every detail in that specific area. I don't believe that era specific topics allow you to really see what what truly happening.
ReplyDeleteI would for sure rather learn from a text book rather than literature. I am a type of learner who just flat out needs the straight facts, not the fluff that literature gives. I really enjoyed learning about the 20's and the 60's. The 20's because within a decade the Us went from fun to turmoil. I like the 60's because it was all about hope, JFK, and the new space era, things that are exciting. I would like to go to the 20's because its after we won the war and everything was so romantic and lively.
ReplyDeleteI think history should be taught with both textbooks and literature. While studying a time-period in history, a text from that period could be taught to offer a more personal view of the times. The time periods I enjoy most are Greek, Roman, Middle Ages, and the World Wars. I would want to visit the Roman Empire and visit for a while. I enjoy a/c and showers too much. I think the movie Gladiator got me interested in it the most.
ReplyDeleteI would much rather learn history through literature because reading a textbook with a whole bunch of facts, one page after another, is extremely exhausting. When I read a textbook that doesn’t interest me, especially history, it goes in one ear and out the other. When I read about history in an actual novel, I get the feeling of actually being there through the use of imagery and description.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that the era of World War II and its impact/outcome interests me the most. From Hitler’s rise to power to the concentration camps, I can read stories from that time period over and over without ever getting bored. I would never want to live through it, but I find stories concerning the Holocaust to be so meaningful and powerful. The Book, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and the film, Life is Beautiful, are great sources I enjoyed seeing and reading that had to do with the Holocaust.
i would much rather learn about history through a textbook. although there are some readings that can help you dive into a specific aspect of history more thoroughly but i would not want to constantly be looking for a deeper meaning. my favorite time period in history is ww2. i enjoy reading about the battles and what exactly was going on in the countries involved not only Europe but Africa and the Pacific. if i could choose any time period to live in it would be in America during the Reagan year where America prospered and American business grew.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn from literature then from reading a textbook because the story makes it more interesting to learn. A story that has some sort of character development is always easier to follow and not as boring as a textbook can be. I always wondered what it would be like to go back and live in the time of the medieval times with kings.
ReplyDeleteTextbooks are not always the best medium to teach history, often failing to provide the reader with a sense of historical context: How were things at that particular time in history? What kind of tensions were these people living under? When history is told through literature it allows the reader to delve into the past and get a firsthand account of the actions that took place. If I could go to any setting from a book I’ve read it would no doubt be Hogwarts from Harry Potter. There’s nothing more exciting than imagining you can use magic, and this school will train you how to prefect it. If I lived in England I would of already ran full speed into the platform at 9¾… twice, just incase.
ReplyDeleteI would rather learn history through literature. Textbooks are already boring enough, while literature gives any subject a fun side to it. If I could live in an era of the past I would choose the times of Mozart because those were happy times. I have no particular book that takes me back to Mozart's era.
ReplyDeleteI will also take the side the majority of others are taking and saying I would rather learn history through literature. I say this because sometimes history can become long and boring, so when the information is presented in a story-like manner, it is almost always easier to study and interpret in your head. And as for me, I enjoy studying history around the revolutionary war to the civil war.
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