Daniel sends “this story about an Alaska parent who isn’t happy with the selection in his son’s AP English Class, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, because of offensive content. Nor is he happy about his son being assigned an alternative title. The teacher
Berkowitz offered Daniel the alternative, Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” after Gudaitis objected to Allende’s book, but Gudaitis said reading a different book can make students feel inferior to their classmates.
The parent says he understands the arugment about literary value, but both he and his son found the book disturbing in the light of their faith.
Thomas Hardy?!
Hmph! Tess of the D’Urburvilles isn’t much better taken out of its cultural context. Drunkeness, rape, pre-marital sex, adultery, and in the end Tess’s love hooks up with her adolescent sister when she is executed for murder, at her recommendation. If I were a knee-jerk reactionary I could easily argue that Tess had pimped for her kid sister.
But, then, some people will go out of their way to bitch about everything. Mayhap junior would be better off if Papa selected something safe to read for him; something along the lines of Dick and Jane.
So silly
Christianity has always been afraid of people reading anything that may not be in line with the allowed thought-speak. Usually an attempt to promote ignorance of other ideas is based in a deep seated conviction that someone educated will no longer believe you. All cults do it, and a religion is just a sucessful cult after all.
I am a Christian, I just find that the problems with christianity come from the followers not the Bible.
Like the bumpersticker says …
“God, protect me from your followers”
Re:Thomas Hardy?!
Having had The Mayor of Casterbridge inflicted upon me in high school, I would hypothesize that the teacher is assigning “Tess” punitively. It’s certainly cruel and unusual to force somebody to read it.
BFD
Here are the choices, read one or the other.
If you fail to read one or the other you fail.
There is no right to be free from all offense, choose the one you or your parents find less offensive.
Have a nice day.
Re:Thomas Hardy?!
That’s okay. Very shortly, in Florida, anyway, students will be able to sue their teachers for making them learn.
2005, March 22: The Academic Freedom Bill of Rights
What is faith?
Brought up a Catholic and a Christian, (I know, some fundamentalists persist with the prejudice that these are mutually exclusive), I am constantly surprised at people who are afraid their faith will be challenged by learning. Um, If you are a true believer God gave you a brain to learn and make choices with and (if you are a believer) he gave you FAITH to take you past temptation. Why oh why do we carry on letting Religion dictate Politics (in the broadest sense: society/education?). Society is best served by knowledge and understanding. Sorry, I just had to let my liberal umbrage off the leash for a minute.