The novels assigned to students in American English classes throughout grade school are often labeled “classics” such as “Of Mice and Men,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Pride and Prejudice,” etc. Rarely do students understand the essence of the story they are assigned, nor do they care enough to venture into anything other than the Sparknotes summary. I know this because I was one of those students, feigning apathy in the face of yet another classic slammed down on our desks.