/lit/ - Literature

I took 12 years of public education in the US. We all had to take english or "literature" class to read books in and most people hated it. They hated it because:
1. It took us months to read one book. Even up through grade 11.
2. They made us read books analytically to dissect every part (theme, symbolism, tone, etc). This would help us show that we understood the book on a test.
3. We would read a book most of us didn't like and would never have read independently outside of the class.
Why are classes set up this way? I love books; my room is full of them. I hated english class. My life has not improved in the last decade because I now can properly identify and explain the theme of the book that the author intended. I learned how to enjoy books by reading books that I liked at my own pace and understanding, not with this class.
On another note—especially in fiction—literature is an art form and art is meant to be interpreted differently. Why should we care in the first place what the author intended?