What Makes a Classic?

Exploring what it means to be a classic, and my options for analysis.

My choices for the assignment.

What truly makes a classic? What makes a book an example to others, something that future authors look back on to compare their work to? Well… there’s no definitive answer. There is no cookie cutter way to make a classic- authors who were once unknown spin a web that intrigues a generation in a way that is specific to their time period but remains relevant to their grandchildren. They’re not loved by all- in fact, often classics are loathed by students when they become required reading- but they can speak to most. I remember an English class in grade 9 in which my class read Maze Runner and the other class read To Kill a Mockingbird. The former is teen fiction and the latter is a classic- but neither was particularly well received. The writing wasn’t understood by most (nor was it well done in Maze Runner) but the message of To Kill a Mockingbird stood clear. And that’s what a classic does. They represent an idea, a moral, a lesson, something that is deeper than the obvious story that is applicable to many circumstances. To me, a book is a classic when the lessons it presents stand the test of time. And I could tell that a book like Maze Runner wasn’t capable of that.

“Timeless” means something that stands on its own. It isn’t affected by the change around them, whether it’s the passage of time or the new wave of fashion- it’s a cactus, a tortoise- it can survive much longer than the species around them. And that’s what a classic does. Even if we don’t always agree with the books that are given the coveted title of “a classic”, they stood the test of time to reach our generation decades after publication, and they will likely be around for another few. Even books with explicit deadlines or limits, such as 1984, long outlived the year it was named for. It was first published in 1949, almost 70 years before this one. How many books can say they’ve done that? What makes a book like 1984, Animal Farm, or Fahrenheit 451 special? They all represent a point in time, but they remain relevant today, which is what a classic should do.

I think a “must-read” has two levels- there’s must-read because I personally enjoy the book and there’s must-read because this is an objectively good/important/interesting book. Often we overlook one of them when selecting a recommendation but sometimes, if the moment is right, the categories unite; and that creates a must-read truly worth reading. If someone can enjoy a book that is also a good book, that’s something worth looking into. A must-read author, however, must have enough well-written books under their belt that they are a collection of themselves, and whoever reads one of their books must read them all. This doesn’t mean they have a ten-part series of one idea, it means they have variety, substance and new ideas consistently. An author like Kurt Vonnegut or Ray Bradbury has a few of must-reads, which makes them a reputable author to recommend.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is my final choice for this assignment because it meets the criteria of being a classic, and I’ve wanted to read it for a long time so I’m really interested in reading The Bell Jar. I know that the author, Sylvia Plath, is well known, so it’s easy to find background information to use . I know the book is appropriate for my level because the subject matter speaks about finding purpose and dealing with mental illness, which is a prominent issue concerning the teens of today.