The creative efforts of English faculty who have developed these tightly focused courses are matched by those of their colleagues who include in their courses previously unread writers and texts from traditionally studied regions and time periods. The purpose of this expansion of the literary experience is multi-faceted. English teachers and students study literature because they love the written word and they find aesthetic pleasure in reading. They seek and find emotional connections to authors, characters, and time periods through close reading and discussion of literary works. But, teachers and students also read to learn about the world and human experiences in that world.
Writers tell the stories of individual struggles and of cultures.
When students read these works they look beyond their own experiences. They are not bound by what they read in newspapers, view in films, or witness via satellite on the evening news. In short, they are given the tools for understanding the differences and appreciating the similarities of the human experience.