A Different Type of Classic by Alina

A Different Type of Classic by Alina - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

What one book should all high school students read? Well, many books worth reading pop into my mind. Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird", Vonnegut’s "Slaughterhouse-Five", Golding’s "Lord of the Flies", and more all have the components that make them classics.

However, I do not believe this is necessarily the type of classic that high school students must read before they graduate. There is a different kind of classic, one that specifically describes our personalities as adolescents, which all high school students would benefit from reading.

I believe that all high school students should read the story and picture book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, before graduating. For a famous children’s book, a book has never so well described our adventurous instincts, our fading innocence, and the love that we express as teenagers. I think that graduating high school seniors and high school students in general can benefit from reading about a character they relate to and understand.

The hero, Max, sails over an ocean for days, weeks, and months, only to arrive in a land of wild things. Max is adventurous and brave, and does not fear exploring new places. Though we are mature and almost adults as high school students, we all have a little wild in ourselves. We like to be adventurous and explore and try new things. Also, most of us are unsure of who we are or who we will become. We have ideas, but they are not set in stone. Many of us still need to figure out what we want to do with our lives while living them. High school students are like Max in that we are unknowing of what we are going to do in our futures.

This book demonstrates how when we grow up, we become somewhat like our parents. Max’s mother tells Max to go to bed without supper because he has behaved badly. However, as king of the wild things, Max tells the wild things to go to bed without supper. Is it a coincidence that Max punished the wild things the same way his mother punished him? With his mother not around, Max has to take on the role of being responsible and caring for others. Like many of us preparing for college, we are learning how to suffice on our own. However, we make sure to remember our parents’ teachings and morals. High school students would benefit from reading this book as Max exemplifies his growing maturity just like our maturing throughout our high school years.

Most importantly, this book depicts the support parents give to their kids. Though we sometimes take the love we receive for granted, the support and love our parents give us have gotten us through the past twelve years of our education. It is evident that without this support, we may not have gotten to where we are today. Max returns home from where the wild things are to see his mom. He misses her and loves her as well. And she exemplifies her love for him by still bringing his supper to him after sending him to bed without it. She loves him regardless of whether or not he is a wild thing. Just like our parents love us regardless of whom we are. High school students could benefit from reading this story in that it reflects how our parents feel about us and that we should always remember and appreciate their constant support.

Where the Wild Things Are accurately describes our feelings as high school students. Certainly, we are sometimes rowdy, but that does not mean we are not brave or maturing or that we do not love our parents. High school students should definitely read this book, as it explains our feelings and we can identify with Max. As a high school student myself, I know that reading this book now causes me to reflect on my actions and feelings as an adolescent. Because so many students could relate to Where the Wild Things Are, students should read this story before graduating to try to grasp an idea of who they are before proceeding into the future.