Fiction in School Textbooks as Reflection on English Culture

This article analyzes classical and modern works of fiction in English textbooks for grades 10-11 (recommended for work at school by government) as material for analyzing the cultural characteristics of the country to which the author of the works belongs. National character is one of the most significant features of the culture. It is true for the English culture as well as for the Russian one and may seem one of important features to be studied and discussed in class.. The article gives prominent features of classical and modern fiction, reveals its impact on the students of 10-11 grade of the Russian secondary schools and figures out why it is important for the English textbooks. Students find the features of the national character from classical and contemporary fiction, get in contact with culture of the foreign country and analyse the authentic material in general. The article also points some questions for discussion which are to be solved later by more thorough research.