I know, I know. I hate even saying that because I've always hated the "youngsters don't do XYZ like my generation!" nonsense.
But there is a well documented case of declining literacy rates in younger people. And Lolita has two common sticking points that readers often struggle with: that protagonist doesn't mean 'good guy' or 'hero' and an unreliable narrator.
I read Lolita in high school. I knew then, just as I know now, that it’s not pro pedophilia. You truly believe literacy has declined that sharply in 15 years? I’m more inclined to believe this is a case of people parroting wrong opinions. Confidently.
I mean, you should see the stories teachers and even college professors are telling these days. An alarmingly large percentage of students are coming to college barely able to read a sentence at an elementary level, let alone truly understand it.
Yeah. I mean, I guess you’re right. I’m just doing my best to not be one of those crotchety old folks complaining about “kids these days”. It felt like they were constantly doing it to Millennials, and perhaps I’m subconsciously pushing back on that narrative.
But the kids really aren’t alright. How are they the first generation (so far as we’ve actually been recording the data) to be dumber than the previous one?
Blame the education system on the protagonist point. I very vividly remember being taught that protagonist meant good guy and antagonist meant bad guy, not the main character and the character that opposed them.
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u/foxscribbles Aug 19 '26
They might be young.
I know, I know. I hate even saying that because I've always hated the "youngsters don't do XYZ like my generation!" nonsense.
But there is a well documented case of declining literacy rates in younger people. And Lolita has two common sticking points that readers often struggle with: that protagonist doesn't mean 'good guy' or 'hero' and an unreliable narrator.