Martians, Atwood, and the Value of Literature

Why study American literature? As my students struggle through their required English classes, this question weighs heavily on their minds.

Master storyteller Margaret Atwood gives an answer in her April 28 New York Times opinion article, "Hello, Martians. Let Moby-DickExplain." In an imaginary dialogue with two Martians, she uses writings by Hawthorne and Melville to explain the historical pushes and pulls of American religion, liberty and capitalism. And she does this with critical rigor, humor and brevity.

The next time I cover these two authors, I will use this article to engage my students in literary analysis and cultural study, pushing them toward my ultimate goal – learning to find their own answers.