Why Is Western Literature So Common in Asian Schools? Education, Colonial History, and Cultural Influence

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If you grew up in an Asian country, you may have spent years studying novels, poems, and plays written by Western authors. You might have read Shakespeare, George Orwell, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, or other European and American writers in school. Sometimes, you may even know more about Western literature than the literature of neighboring Asian countries. But why is Western literature so common in Asian education?

If you grew up in Asia, there is a good chance that you encountered Western literature at some point in school. Maybe you studied Shakespeare. Maybe your English teacher asked you to read Animal Farm or 1984. Maybe you discussed Shakespearean plays, European novels, or American poetry.

And sometimes, you might have wondered: “Why are we studying so many Western writers when we are living in Asia?” It is an interesting question because the answer is not simply that Western literature is “better” or more important. There are historical, educational, linguistic, and political reasons why Western literature became so influential in many Asian education systems.

Colonialism Changed Asian Education

One of the biggest reasons is colonial history.

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Large parts of Asia experienced European colonial rule or strong European influence at different points in history. Countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and others experienced different forms of colonialism, depending on the period and colonial power involved.

Colonial governments often introduced or expanded European-style education systems. In some places, European languages became important in administration and education. In others, European literary traditions became part of the curriculum. Even after independence, many countries continued using educational structures that had developed during the colonial period. This does not mean that Asian education simply remained “colonial.” Education systems changed significantly after independence. But historical institutions can have a very long life.

English Became an Important Educational Language

Another major factor is the global importance of English. English became one of the most widely used international languages for education, business, science, diplomacy, and communication. That naturally affected literature education. If students are learning English as a foreign or second language, teachers often use literature originally written in English. This creates an interesting situation.

Students may learn English through stories written by British, American, or other English-speaking authors. As a result, literature classes can become an introduction not only to language but also to Western culture and history.

Shakespeare Appears Almost Everywhere

If you studied English literature in Asia, there is a good chance that Shakespeare appeared somewhere in your education. Why Shakespeare? Partly because his works have become extremely influential in the English-language literary tradition. His plays are also widely taught internationally, translated into many languages, and adapted into films, theater, and other forms.

But there is another interesting question: Why does a student in Asia need to know Shakespeare? The answer depends on the education system. For some students, Shakespeare provides an opportunity to study English, literary techniques, drama, historical context, and complex language. For others, it may simply be part of a curriculum inherited from older educational traditions. Either way, Shakespeare's presence in Asian classrooms is a good example of how global cultural influence works.

Western Literature Can Become a Symbol of “Good Education”

There is also a social dimension.

In some Asian societies, knowledge of Western literature can be associated with being educated, sophisticated, or proficient in English. Speaking English well may be considered an important educational achievement. Being familiar with famous Western authors can sometimes carry similar cultural prestige. This creates a fascinating contradiction.

A student may be able to discuss Shakespeare, Orwell, or Dickens but know very little about writers from another Asian country. The issue is not necessarily that students dislike local literature. Sometimes, the educational system simply gives them more exposure to Western texts.

The Influence of English-Language Education

Private schools, international schools, universities, and English-language programs have also played a role. As English became increasingly important for higher education and international careers, demand for English-language education increased. Literature became part of that process.

Students were not only learning grammar and vocabulary. They were also learning how English-speaking societies express ideas through stories, novels, poetry, and drama. This can be valuable. But it can also create an imbalance if local literature receives much less attention.

What Happens to Asian Literature?

This is where the conversation becomes more complicated. Asia has enormous literary traditions. There are ancient Chinese texts, Indian epics, Japanese literature, Persian poetry, Indonesian literature, Thai literature, Korean literature, Filipino literature, Vietnamese literature, and countless other traditions.

Yet students in one Asian country may sometimes know more about famous Western authors than writers from neighboring Asian countries. Why?

One reason is that literature often travels through powerful languages and publishing networks. A novel written in English can reach international readers without requiring translation into another major language. A novel written in a smaller or less internationally dominant language may need to be translated before readers elsewhere can access it. Translation requires money, publishers, institutions, and demand. As a result, some literary traditions become much more visible internationally than others.

Western Literature Is Not Always Taught Because It Is “Better”

This is an important distinction. When we see Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwell, or other Western writers repeatedly appearing in school curricula, it can create the impression that these authors are considered universally superior. But curriculum choices are influenced by many factors.

Historical influence matters.

Language matters. 

Available textbooks matter.

Teacher training matters.

University requirements matter.

Publishing industries matter.

International examinations also matter.

So the presence of Western literature does not necessarily mean that Asian literature is less valuable. Sometimes, it simply means that certain books have become deeply established within educational institutions.

Literature Also Teaches Culture

When students read a novel from another country, they are not only learning vocabulary or literary techniques. They are also encountering another society. A British novel may introduce students to British social structures and historical experiences. An American novel may introduce ideas about race, class, individualism, migration, or American society. These books can therefore become windows into another culture. This can be useful in an increasingly connected world. But there is also a risk. If students mainly learn about the world through Western literature, they may unconsciously begin to see Western experiences as the default version of human experience.

The “Western” Perspective Can Become the Default

This is something I find particularly interesting. Imagine a student studying literature for many years.

They read European novels.

They read American novels.

They study Western literary theories.

They learn about European historical periods.

But when they want to understand another Asian society, there may be much less material available in their own curriculum. Over time, this can create a particular worldview. Western history and culture can begin to feel universal, while Asian experiences may be treated as regional or secondary. This is not necessarily something an individual teacher intends. It can happen simply because of the structure of the curriculum.

But Western Literature Can Also Be Valuable

At the same time, I do not think the solution is to stop teaching Western literature. There is a lot that Asian students can learn from it. Literature allows us to encounter different ways of thinking. Reading a novel written hundreds of years ago can introduce questions about family, morality, society, power, love, inequality, identity, and human nature. These themes are not limited to one continent.

The problem is not necessarily Western literature itself. The more interesting question is whether students are given enough opportunities to explore literature from their own region as well.

What If Asian Literature Were More Connected?

Imagine an Asian literature curriculum where students read writers from several different Asian countries. An Indonesian student might read a Japanese novel. A Thai student might read Indonesian poetry. A Filipino student might study Korean literature. A Vietnamese student might discover Indian fiction. This could create a different kind of cultural exchange.

Asia is not one culture. It is a collection of thousands of languages, traditions, histories, and identities. Literature could help people discover those differences. Sometimes, we know more about Europe and America simply because their literature has been translated and distributed more widely.

Globalization Changed the Situation

The good news is that globalization has made literature much easier to access. Today, readers can discover authors through digital publishing, social media, online bookstores, streaming adaptations, literary festivals, and international translation projects. A reader no longer needs to depend entirely on what appears in a school textbook.

Someone in Asia can discover a Polish writer. Someone in Europe can discover an Indonesian novelist. Someone in Thailand can read Korean fiction. Someone in Indonesia can discover Japanese poetry. The flow of literature is becoming more global.

Young People Are Changing What They Read

Younger generations are also becoming more curious about stories outside the traditional Western canon. Korean novels, Japanese manga, Chinese fiction, Indian literature, Southeast Asian writers, and other Asian works have gained international audiences.

People are increasingly interested in stories that reflect experiences they recognize. This does not mean Western literature is disappearing. Instead, the literary world is becoming more diverse. Readers now have more opportunities to choose what they want to read.

Studying Western Literature Can Still Be a Bridge

There is another way to look at the situation. Instead of thinking about Western literature as something that replaced Asian literature, we can also see it as one part of a larger global conversation. A student can read Shakespeare and then compare his ideas about family, power, and society with an Asian play. A student can read Orwell and then compare political themes with literature from their own country. A student can read a European novel and ask: “How would this story look if it were written from an Asian perspective?” That kind of comparison can make literature much more interesting.

What Living Abroad Can Teach You About Literature

Living in another country can also change how you think about literature. When you move abroad, you may suddenly realize that your education gave you a particular cultural perspective. You may discover authors you never encountered in school. You may read literature from your new country and recognize experiences that were completely unfamiliar to you before. At the same time, you may return to books you studied as a student and see them differently. Distance can sometimes make us understand our own education better.

We Need More Than One Literary Perspective

I think the most interesting approach is not to ask whether Asian or Western literature is better. It is to ask: “Whose stories are we learning, and whose stories are we missing?” Western literature has produced some extraordinary writers and works that deserve to be studied. But Asia has extraordinary literary traditions too. A good education should give students the opportunity to encounter different perspectives rather than suggesting that one region has a monopoly on important stories. Literature becomes more meaningful when we have enough perspectives to compare.

What About You?

If you grew up in Asia, think about the literature you studied at school. How many Western writers did you read? How many writers from your own country? And how many writers from other Asian countries? Maybe you studied Shakespeare several times but never read a novel from a neighboring Asian country. Maybe your school had a strong local literature program. Or perhaps you never thought about this difference until you started living abroad.

“The books we study at school do more than teach us how to read. They also influence whose stories we consider important.”

As education becomes more international, I think there is an opportunity to create a more balanced literary conversation, one where students can appreciate Shakespeare, Orwell, Dickens, and other Western writers while also discovering the enormous literary traditions of Asia. After all, the world has far too many stories to limit ourselves to one literary tradition.

Whatever your experience is, I would love to hear your story. What Western books did you study at school, and how much Asian or local literature was included in your education? Do you think schools should teach more literature from neighboring Asian countries?

Warm regards,

Halimatu Sa’diah - Koruch
Born in the East, Married to the West