To kill a mockingbird at SR

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't a book like To Kill a Mockingbird be used to teach all of the issues being brought up against it? Seems like a very good platform to approach all these issues.

I agree with this. We read primary texts from different periods in history in order to have a lens on those time periods. Why not read TKAM and Bluest Eye? And discuss how TKAM gives only the white characters a voice and significant agency. More enlightening, IMO, than tossing the book out entirely.

This is like when people tell me (a science teacher) that I should "teach the controversy" about things like climate change and evolution.

Just... no.

Also, it’s a survey class, right? Have to skim along and hit a bunch of different eras and themes. Would be different if it was a seminar on race relations in American lit, or even just a general lit class where the teacher could pick a few paired readings to compare/contrast, which probably would be a more interesting class anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. Our school dumped Macbeth for The Bluest Eye. Just silly.

Have you ever read The Bluest Eye? It's a really good book.

It is a really good book but I think classic works and Shakespeare are things one should also read and discuss in order to be really well educated and understand references to them as adults or in college. Even if you disagree with things within them.
NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Would you want to walk past a statue of the man that raped your mom?

Nobody has to ever walk past a statue of a man who raped their mother. Literally nobody.

Yes. Black peoples walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family. Literally all of them.

Literally all black people walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family.

Is that so?

Would you be asking the same question those who are Jewish in regards to a statute of Hitler? By the way, not 1 statue in Germany of Hitler resides to this day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. Our school dumped Macbeth for The Bluest Eye. Just silly.

Have you ever read The Bluest Eye? It's a really good book.

It is a really good book but I think classic works and Shakespeare are things one should also read and discuss in order to be really well educated and understand references to them as adults or in college. Even if you disagree with things within them.
NP

Read them at home. I don’t get this thread at all. You all know your kids can read books outside of schoolwork, right? And even discuss them with you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Would you want to walk past a statue of the man that raped your mom?

Nobody has to ever walk past a statue of a man who raped their mother. Literally nobody.

Yes. Black peoples walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family. Literally all of them.

Literally all black people walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family.

Is that so?

Would you be asking the same question those who are Jewish in regards to a statute of Hitler? By the way, not 1 statue in Germany of Hitler resides to this day.

No, I'm asking the question of the person who made such a ridiculous assertion. I'm talking about the US not Hitler not Sadaam. Try and stay focused on the subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't a book like To Kill a Mockingbird be used to teach all of the issues being brought up against it? Seems like a very good platform to approach all these issues.

I agree with this. We read primary texts from different periods in history in order to have a lens on those time periods. Why not read TKAM and Bluest Eye? And discuss how TKAM gives only the white characters a voice and significant agency. More enlightening, IMO, than tossing the book out entirely.

This is like when people tell me (a science teacher) that I should "teach the controversy" about things like climate change and evolution.

Just... no.

Also, it’s a survey class, right? Have to skim along and hit a bunch of different eras and themes. Would be different if it was a seminar on race relations in American lit, or even just a general lit class where the teacher could pick a few paired readings to compare/contrast, which probably would be a more interesting class anyway.

If basic English literature is taught at SR as a survey class, then that is another problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Would you want to walk past a statue of the man that raped your mom?

Nobody has to ever walk past a statue of a man who raped their mother. Literally nobody.

Yes. Black peoples walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family. Literally all of them.

Literally all black people walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family.

Is that so?

Would you be asking the same question those who are Jewish in regards to a statute of Hitler? By the way, not 1 statue in Germany of Hitler resides to this day.

No, I'm asking the question of the person who made such a ridiculous assertion. I'm talking about the US not Hitler not Sadaam. Try and stay focused on the subject.

No you’re not staying focused. You’re just in denial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students of color learn nothing from being forced to read this white savior narrative. Worse yet they are forced to listen to the n word over and over. Just because it meant something to you once upon a time as a white person does not mean that it is a good choice for students today. This is well documented. I am white FWIW. Stone Ridge is moving in the right direction. Well done.

Agree.

Disagree. It’s one of the all time great American classics. Yet another deficit in true education to omit this work.

Start a little book club with your precious darling child and thei darling friends and then you can all read and say the n word to your heart’s content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. Our school dumped Macbeth for The Bluest Eye. Just silly.

I’ll bet you never read either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students of color learn nothing from being forced to read this white savior narrative. Worse yet they are forced to listen to the n word over and over. Just because it meant something to you once upon a time as a white person does not mean that it is a good choice for students today. This is well documented. I am white FWIW. Stone Ridge is moving in the right direction. Well done.

Agree.

Disagree. It’s one of the all time great American classics. Yet another deficit in true education to omit this work.

What other books do you think cannot be omitted from a “true” education? Sounds like you have a list already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No you’re not staying focused. You’re just in denial.

DENIAL

What you are accused of being in whenever you contradict a baseless claim made by an idiot who couldn’t otherwise win a debate against a Cheeto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Would you want to walk past a statue of the man that raped your mom?

Nobody has to ever walk past a statue of a man who raped their mother. Literally nobody.

Yes. Black peoples walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family. Literally all of them.

Literally all black people walk past statues of men who raped and killed their family.

Is that so?

Would you be asking the same question those who are Jewish in regards to a statute of Hitler? By the way, not 1 statue in Germany of Hitler resides to this day.

No, I'm asking the question of the person who made such a ridiculous assertion. I'm talking about the US not Hitler not Sadaam. Try and stay focused on the subject.

Good point. Racism reigns supreme in the US, so let's not compare ourselves with others. Let's continue to perpetuate the ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Good point. Racism reigns supreme in the US, so let's not compare ourselves with others. Let's continue to perpetuate the ignorance.

Racism does not "reign supreme" in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to provide some food for thought on the matter for those who have a problem with this. Imagine being a black student and constantly reading these "classics" which shows a history of time, in which blacks were treated sub-human and the author makes no apology, but writes it from a perspective of it is what it is. Page by page, you have to read words that cut deep to your race. However, rather than an awakening of morale taking place, you have an educated white lawyer that takes on a case because of his daughter. The poor uneducated black is once again saved by the educated white man, who takes pitty on him. But wait, this is a classic, to hell with others, it's written well.

Well, you clearly didn’t master English writing. Your syntax is terrible. “An awakening of morale”?

Harper Lee is describing racism as it existed. It is brutal and nearly incomprehensible to a child. That’s what she conveys. Novelists do not apologize for the contexts in which their stories occur.

The Bluest Eye describes abuse, neglect, internalized racism, and madness. Did you want Toni Morrison to apologize for that fact that these things can exist within African American communities?

You have absolutely no understanding of literature.

[Anonymous]

It’s a great book. It’s taught in context. Read it. Don’t read it. Free country. As long as you don’t make me read poorly written YA hogwash instead.