Reply to Is Shakespeare not taught in DCPS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You are thinking from the perspective of an older person or mom. I highly doubt if you are on this forum you have access to high society, where absolutely knowing Shakespeare’s work is a must, along with other works of literature, art, etc.

I hope you can see times are changing, Shakespeare will surely continued to be read but will no longer be the staple. And yes, we do need to read other works from Asian, black, hispanic, etc authors.

Foundational English lit? The United States does not even have an official language, so the idea of ‘English lit’ is just becoming ‘literature.’[/quote]

This literally makes no sense. [/quote]

I’m sorry you don’t get that we can expand literature to include a more diverse set of authors, and that a little less Shakespeare won’t ruin your child’s life. [/quote]

Oh the horror of having an opinion as a mom, or gasp! while being older. Oh, wise 23 year old with a newly minted college degree, I beg you, share your wisdom with the plebeians.

Your post is a perfect example of why we need rigorous instruction in English composition and literature.
Your expression is a rambling of confuse ideas, a mishmash of incoherent borrowed snippets, poor vocabulary choice, and an appalling lack of critical thinking.
You clearly don’t grasp that staple denotes consumption of a commodity or you wouldn’t use it to describe Shakespeare’s works. You don’t seem to know the meaning of foundational, fyi according to the dictionary definition it means ‘denoting an underlying basis or principle; fundamental’. You don’t have critical thinking skills, otherwise you’d realize that English literature must have a foundation, it didn’t just came into existence while you were in high school. The works written as the language was developing are the foundation of English literature.

Regarding people still reading, none of your business what they chose to do with their time, if they read for pleasure or not. On thing I can assure you of, most decent jobs today require good reading and writing skills, and sharp critical thinking, and that’s across all careers and industries. We want our children to develop those skills to be successful in life.
[/quote]

This is a mommy forum, please tell me why I should put in effort into my posts here?

I have stated my stance in multiple different ways and others have shared similar responses. Rather than a lack of ‘critical thinking,’ it’s more people like you don’t want to hear the opinion. I’m sorry you do not understand that their are other works one can read to develop better literacy skills.

And the fact that you are adding to my words or purposely misconstruing them tells me that you do not have people around you who challenge you and live in a bubble. Friends who look like you, talk like you, and have a similar background. I’m sure you are a wealth of knowledge and have very strong ‘critical thinking skills.’

I’ve never stated Shakespeare shouldn’t be read, it just doesn’t need to be read in abundance. I also mostly still just make fun of this post, like I keep having to repeat. Is memory loss becoming more prevalent? Perhaps lower your sugar intake and make sure to eat fruits and vegetables.[/quote]

Just stop with the pseudo psychological analysis. You went after me, my supposed husband (lol), my kid, now my friends. Go back at being enraged we use the word “cannon” on k-12, that was priceless. You have already proven to be completely incompetent in this discussion, now you want to lecture what my child should learn in school. Ok, list the authors you’d like to add to the curriculum.[/quote]

Fine.  Here is my reading list:

How to Be an Anti-Racist by: Ibram X. Kendi

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by: Robin Diangelo

So You Want to Talk About Race by: Ijeoma Olou

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by: Ibram X. Kendi

Being White, Being Good: White Complicity, White Moral Responsibility, and Social Justice Pedagogy by: Barbara Applebaum

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by: Reni Eddo-Lodge[/quote]

So while I 100% know white privilege and white supremacy is real, I think that these books in particular are better save for a sociology class. I do think it is important for kids to understand their actions have consequences, like white kids stealing tik tok ideas from minorities blowing up and then not giving the original creators credit is wrong. Things like blackfishing or saying you are a trans racial Korean when you are White is wrong. Those things to need to be learned by not in a lit class.

Here’s my basic idea for some to add, FYI this is from the ‘23 year old’ lol not sure who guessed my age but I am actually 22. :-)

The Tale of Genji
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Plum Bun by Jessie Redmon Fauset
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Bonus - Cyrano de Bergerac and yes the author is white, I never have advocated for ‘no white people.’ Let’s just add a few others…and some modern things too.

And I’ll say it again, Shakespeare should be read just not ONLY his works. [/quote]

Interesting list. I did not like Haruki Maurakami’s work but I can see why it’s on the list.[/quote]

Sigh.  No one is saying only read Shakespeare.

The level of stupidity of the person who is voting Republican because some DCUM people want to supplement Shakespeare with other authors is truly pstaggering.[/quote]

It's the whole thread. People claiming Shakespeare is "racist." People freaking out at the suggestion that Biblical motifs and stories are appropriate to teach as literature. People making incoherent arguments repeatedly misspelling "canon."  People suggesting we read White Fragility in English Lit.  It's all ... ugh. [/quote]

Well I think people are trolling in that regard. But what is racist is suggesting that only white predominantly British authors should be read. And the creation of this thread suggests that at the very least what people in this forum care about is not any kind of diversity, there would never be a post this popular with a suggestion of more diverse reading. (That is not white fragility, as I said before that should be saved for a different class)

I know if you are white you may not understand, but children consciously and unconsciously realize when all the authors/main characters they are made to read are white. When they do talk about people who look like them it’s in terms of slavery, the bombing of Hiroshima, their land being stolen, etc.

Certainly Shakespeare is great but we can add some other authors.

[/quote]

I was unaware of the school with the “Shakespeare only” list, or where someone was advocating for only white men on the reading list. This thread could have been an opportunity for people to talk about what books are overlooked, but turned into another preening opportunity to accuse people of being racist for even asking a question about what might replace the Shakespeare that is offered. [/quote]

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