Ironically, if we never read the classics, we couldn't play these games

I was reading a book this morning. Shocker. The book in question concerns literacy.

During a case study discussion, a class reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" is presented. For people who haven't read the story, the book provides a one sentence synopsis: "The short story tells of a woman in the late 1800s who has a mental illness and becomes more obsessed each day with her bedroom yellow wallpaper."

I don't even know what the rest of the case study said because I was blinded with rage.

Going on a diatribe right now isn't healthy for the Zen state I am trying to embody, so I will just say: starting out crazy and dissenting into madness because your husband locks you in a room for months while reinforcing your instability every chance he gets are COMPLETELY separate issues.

Although, perhaps the authors are ON to something. What if we boiled other classic works down to single sentences that are inaccurate and missing the whole point? What would that look like? And once I start, will I be able to stop?

Thanks to E, P and M for playing the game with me...

The Scarlet Letter is about a single woman who had a baby.
Lord of the Flies concerns kids discovering an island.
Native Son is about a black youth who finds employment in a wealthy household.
Oliver Twist...homeless kids.
Pygmalion - an extreme makeover.
Wuthering Heights, a book about neighbors.
The Great Gatsby, new money.
Beloved - a woman, her daughter, and a young girl who comes to live with them.
Of Mice and Men - a big man with a 'little' name learns not to squeeze the things he loves.
The Odyssey, a journey of infidelity.

Why don't you give it a try? It really is so helpful. I'm really glad none of us have to bother reading any of the classics now.

"Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?"
DON'T TRUST HIM husband in "The Yellow Wallpaper"