We are like the prisoners, not knowing what things really are, then when we read the classics we are shown the light, like the man that is shown the light, and goes back and tells the other prisoners. A classic should become a classic by vote of a group. No individual should have the authority to decide what becomes a classic. Also, in order to become a classic a piece of literature must affect life in a positive manner. This means that it cannot persuade individuals to act in outlandish ways that will threaten or harm anything.
Every classic has a message of significant importance.
This does not mean that everyone has to read every piece of literature that has been considered a classic, but it does mean that one should be familiar with the ideas classics try to portray. If classics from others countries can in some way enlighten us then the concept of the classic should be known. We feel this way because we recently saw the foreign film My Life as a Dog and the message it told was interesting to me. The film informed me about the cultures of Swedish people. It also helped us realize that people from others cultures get pleasure from many of the same activities that we do in America.