Cresskill High School’s 10th grade English Classes read classics that ranged in topics, themes, and settings from the 1500s to the 1960s. The following is one 10th grader’s review of the books discussed in the order the books were read during the school year.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller – 8/10
The Crucible is a riveting account of the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. Miller wrote the play in the 1950s to criticize the hunt for communists that was occurring during that time period in the United States led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Arthur Miller wanted to show how accusations of communism against innocent people were exactly the same as the witch trials that occurred hundreds of years ago with innocent people accused of being a witch based upon rumors and hearsay. Sophomore Yuna Lee stated, “I disliked it a lot because they were so religiously motivated and blinded in fear that they let the people at fault get away, but I do like that it was historically accurate.”
The main character of the Crucible, John Proctor was a good religious man, an upstanding citizen, and landowner in the town of Salem who made a mistake by having an extramarital affair. Unfortunately, Proctor paid dearly for his mistake, destroying his family and ultimately losing his life. His flaws make him relatable to the reader and the uncertain outcome of Proctor and his wife on trial for witchcraft made the story suspenseful, engaging the reader until the very end.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – 4/10
The Great Gatsby is set in the jazz age in America in the 1920s on Long Island, outside of New York City. Although The Great Gatsby is considered to be classic because many of its themes are still relevant today, this 10th grader found it only moderately interesting. However, a completely different opinion was offered by Ethan Odabashian who said, ““I liked it. It was good because it included not a regular predictable story, but instead an interesting one with twists.”
The theme of the unattainable American Dream did not resonate personally with me and the protagonist. Jay Gatsby was not an appealing character because he lived a life of deceit, was materialistic, and unnaturally obsessed with Daisy Buchanan, which was a one-sided relationship. Daisy did not reciprocate Gatsby’s feelings which made Gatsby seem pathetic. The lavish lifestyle of the Buchanans and their friends seemed excessive and it was hard to empathize with any of the characters. Overall, despite the important themes in the book reflecting on the lack of morality and the pursuit of pleasure by Americans, this book was difficult to get through and I was unmoved by Gatsby’s death at the end.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare – 8.5/10
Romeo and Juliet is arguably Shakespeare’s most well-known and most frequently performed play for a reason. It is a tragic love story between Romeo and Juliet whose families are sworn enemies which means they cannot be together even though they fall deeply in love. Ultimately, they both die by suicide since they would rather be dead than live without each other. The theme of a deep love between two teenagers resonates with high school students and it is a theme seen over and over again in stories and movies even in the current day. Teenagers often have a romanticized idea of relationships with the hopes that they will fall deeply in love with someone who reciprocates that feeling. Even though Romeo and Juliet is written in early modern English, the plot was engaging and the reader is rooting for Romeo and Juliet to find a way to be together. The tragic ending leaves the reader with a sadness that emphasizes how Shakespeare’s words are so engaging. This is truly a timeless story of love and relationships that will be relevant even 100 years from now. Although I highly recommend this book as a must read, another classmate, Seiya Hatanaka had a completely different opinion, “ “I thought was ok and disliked it because it told me what was going to happen before it did.” These contrasting views suggest that one must read it and judge it for themselves.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- 3.5/10
To Kill A Mockingbird was written in 1960 as the Civil Rights Movement was beginning in the United States. The book covers many important themes about morality, racism, prejudice, the loss of childhood innocence, and good and evil. The main character Atticus Finch is a moral, intelligent and compassionate white lawyer in the town of Maycomb, Alabama who choses to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a young woman who is white. Despite Atticus thinking that he will not likely win the case because of the prejudice and racism in the town, he feels strongly that everyone deserves legal representation and works hard to prove Tom innocent. Although the trial itself was interesting, I found the plot to move slowly with much of the book developing characters. However, Nola Yoon, a 10th grader who also read the book found it to be, “interesting and an enjoyable read with lessons that are still relevant today”. The story is narrated through the eyes of Atticus’s daughter Scout who has a simple view of racism and the world as good or bad which made it challenging for me to identify with her. There are important lessons to be learned from To Kill A Mockingbird but overall, in my opinion, it ranks as the least interesting work of literature we read in the 10th grade at Cresskill High School.
