Teaching 18th or 19th century classics to a teenager of the 21st century is a bit challenging. While trying to explain a play on Tom Sawyer's fence painting fiasco, Mira was often found looking zapped. She cannot understand why people would want to go see a steamboat that comes once a week. Or why a boy would want to swap apple or marbles for fence painting. " What is so exciting about a steamboat or a marble?" she asks.
Living with all material comforts and the best of infrastructure, today's kids cannot fathom or appreciate such tales. It is probably time we removed them from the curriculum instead of looking like fools trying to explain life in what looks like primitive society. Even yesteryear's America looks pretty tame for the 21st century kid.
I dont remember having such thoughts. Our only reckoning was that America or England was different - in its landscape, food, mannerisms etc. Everything was imagined in the mind. Not like today when they immediately search for the movie on the story on Youtube.
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