Gail’s answer to “I have a question that might be a little... I dunno, strange? But I saw you gave The Scarlet Letter…” > Likes and Comments
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Thanks for the reply! I feel a little bit more validated now, because I just loathed the book :P
You didn't need me for that! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I'm glad to help.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was related to one of the judges of the Salem Witch Trials. I think in the Scarlet Letter, he was trying to throw a "look at these silly people" angle with the puritans as other authors, like Mark Twain, have done.
I completely agree that schools should offer a variety of books to students. More diversity please!
I quite agree! I am very frustrated with the prejudice many secondary schools and some colleges have for what they consider "popular" literature, as though many of the "classics" they teach now weren't at one point "popular." The snobbery is ridiculous, and what is and is not considered "canon" seems completely arbitrary. There is so much to be learned in a wide array of literature; it's very disappointing that curricula continue to force the same awful material down students' throats year after year. I am very grateful to my eleventh grade English teacher who included The Mists of Avalon and Vera Chapman's feminist retelling of The Green Knight in our reading. (If you haven't read Chapman, do seek her out! Her books are, sadly, out of print, but they can be found.) Even when I look at the concerted efforts to bring more diversity into "the canon" by including women, ethnic/racial minorities, those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, etc., there is a severe bias toward certain types of narratives, genre, and writing styles. It thoroughly discourages reading in students as they come across far too many books that fail to engage them. Some students may love reading Faulkner. Others may be more engaged with Anne McCaffrey. And there are valuable themes in both! I vote for more diverse curricula across all subjects!
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Raven
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Jun 15, 2015 01:26PM
Thanks for the reply! I feel a little bit more validated now, because I just loathed the book :P
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You didn't need me for that! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I'm glad to help.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was related to one of the judges of the Salem Witch Trials. I think in the Scarlet Letter, he was trying to throw a "look at these silly people" angle with the puritans as other authors, like Mark Twain, have done.
I completely agree that schools should offer a variety of books to students. More diversity please!
I quite agree! I am very frustrated with the prejudice many secondary schools and some colleges have for what they consider "popular" literature, as though many of the "classics" they teach now weren't at one point "popular." The snobbery is ridiculous, and what is and is not considered "canon" seems completely arbitrary. There is so much to be learned in a wide array of literature; it's very disappointing that curricula continue to force the same awful material down students' throats year after year. I am very grateful to my eleventh grade English teacher who included The Mists of Avalon and Vera Chapman's feminist retelling of The Green Knight in our reading. (If you haven't read Chapman, do seek her out! Her books are, sadly, out of print, but they can be found.) Even when I look at the concerted efforts to bring more diversity into "the canon" by including women, ethnic/racial minorities, those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, etc., there is a severe bias toward certain types of narratives, genre, and writing styles. It thoroughly discourages reading in students as they come across far too many books that fail to engage them. Some students may love reading Faulkner. Others may be more engaged with Anne McCaffrey. And there are valuable themes in both! I vote for more diverse curricula across all subjects!
