The problem with teaching classics
Students skim SparkNotes. They paste prompts into ChatGPT. They produce essays that analyze "the green light as a symbol of the American Dream" without ever engaging with the text.
It's not that they don't care. It's that the assignment doesn't require them to care.
Change the question, change the engagement
Instead of "Analyze the theme of illusion in The Great Gatsby," try this:
You're a reporter for the New York World, August 1922. A man named Jay Gatsby has been found dead in his pool. Interview the witnesses, reconstruct the events, and file your story.
Suddenly, the students need to understand each character's perspective, detect contradictions, and make editorial choices about what matters.
How it works in MEτiS
The instructor creates a literary world in minutes. The novel's characters become AI interlocutors, each with their version of events:
- Nick tries to stay neutral but can't hide his admiration
- Daisy deflects and minimizes her involvement
- Jordan offers sharp observations but selective truths
- Tom points fingers and protects his reputation
- Wolfsheim knows more than he'll say
Students can't just ask ChatGPT — they need to navigate contradictions in the text, exactly as a careful reader would.
The deliverable proves engagement
The final article is unique to each team. It reflects who they talked to, what they asked, and which leads they followed. It's proof of genuine engagement with the text that no AI can replicate.