Transforming the Vision of Classic Literature

Abstract

This article presents a personal narrative about how the protagonist transforms her vision of universal classic literature. She began to work in the “1001 Dialogic Literary Gatherings Worldwide” movement, transforming her attitude of rejection toward universal classic literature. Her social context was marked by an alternative atmosphere, where classic culture was associated with tradition and considered boring. Through in-depth conversations with nonacademic adult participants in the dialogic literary gathering (DLG) and the direct exposure to reading classic books, she had the opportunity to personally experience the transformative potential of this successful educational action. She experienced herself how the DLG breaks with the stereotype that universal classic works belong to the cultural elite. The researcher narrates how she learnt to enjoy reading this literature, which reinforced her commitment to overcome social, educational, and cultural inequalities. This experience was a turning point in her academic career as a researcher, fully devoted to the creation of new educational and cultural opportunities for working-class people.