I have some more thinking to do on this subject, but I'm struck by how much my impression of a great deal of literature (and likely other subjects) was colored

I have some more thinking to do on this subject, but I'm struck by how much my impression of a great deal of literature (and likely other subjects) was colored by how it was presented to me in school. I wasn't interested in Angelou because I sensed that it was included in the curriculum by "the authorities" to advance a specific agenda. The lesson wasn't about her works; it was about what the people who set up the lesson wanted me to take away from it. The works themselves were merely a means to that end. This is obviously only my opinion, but I think literature should be approached with an open mind, filtered through the biases and experiences of the reader, and perhaps discussed with others. There is the perspective the author wanted to convey, sure - but there is no "correct" interpretation of a work, and to base classwork around a single interpretation seems equivalent to judging the effectiveness of a scientific experiment by whether it confirms the desired hypothesis. None of the above is really revelatory for me. I'm the father of two unschooled daughters, and the approach that my wife and I share toward education is one of motivation and encouragement instead of the imposed structure and conformance that we experienced. It just feels good to examine the bases of my beliefs and to share them with others. :)