Catholic High School with Disturbing Reading Lists

[PRmerger]

In the name of “literature” my daughter’s school is requiring upper level English students to read some very disturbing contemporary literature. Specifically, the content deals with incest and rape.

She attends an all girls Catholic high school.

All attempts at discussing our concerns with administration have met with failure. The principal, a nun, is backing her staff.

Do you feel that “good writing” and “classroom discussion” trumps morality and promoting Catholic values in a Catholic school?

 

[Christy_Beth]

How is the subject handled in the books? If it shows the consequinces (sp?) then it might be ok. I’m not necessarily supporting the school here, I just think that a watchful eye be kept on the matter.

 

[Benedictus]

And the book(s) in question would be…?

 

[PRmerger]

The book is “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison.

It’s my understanding that the discussion that follows has a pro-feminist, anti-man agenda.

 

[Annn]

The book is “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison.

It’s my understanding that the discussion that follows has a pro-feminist, anti-man agenda.

We read that in my Catholic high school, too? To a great extent the book deals with black womanhood and beauty.

 

[gardenswithkids]

In the name of “literature” my daughter’s school is requiring upper level English students to read some very disturbing contemporary literature. Specifically, the content deals with incest and rape…

Ew! It was literature choices such as that in our local public highschool, (along with several other things,) that helped me decide to look for alternative educational options. I’m saddened to learn of this happening in Catholic schools.

…
Do you feel that “good writing” and “classroom discussion” trumps morality and promoting Catholic values in a Catholic school?

Well, I hope the classroom discussion would promote morality and Catholic values rather than “trumping” them. I wish high school literature focussed on the classics. Classics often include immoral behavior but show the negative consequence of immoral actions. Most of the classics authors had a world view consistent with Christian morality and that reflects in the stories.

Contemporary literature may or may not be written by authors with world views similar to Christianity. I would expect Catholic schools to select literature that promotes Catholic values, *not *literature that may undermine the faith and morality of the students. Any literature teacher should be able to recognize that well written stories can affect people and their behavior. If a literature teacher fails to understand the “power of the pen”, the teacher is hardly qualified to teach literature.

You probably know that the Bible contains a few stories with rape and incest–clearly portraying the acts as evil and providing no graphic details. If a teacher in a Catholic school wants to discuss literature about those sensitive issues, they could read the Bible. The Bible tells stories of sin and redemption, and any truly good literature worthy of a Catholic school should follow a similar plot. I would read the book in question with a yellow highlighter in hand. If I felt the story promoted values inconsistent with the Catholic Church, I would raise a huge fuss.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

1.) Check the book out of the library or buy a used copy somplace and read it. If it’s still as bad as you think, you will be able to say you know your subject. Be sure to take notes while you read.
2.) If you’re convinced the book is not what you want your daughter to read, start with your daughter. Explain why you don’t like the book and what’s wrong with it. Tell her you plan to talk to her teacher about another choice.
3.) Arrange a calm conference and talk with the teacher about the book. Go with the best possible thoughts for the teacher. Do not let the teacher intimidate you. If the teacher has other options, take them.
4.) If the teacher does not give other options, go see the principal or headmaster/ headmistress.

 

[elliejanba]

If your daughter doesn’t read that book, she will be left out, because most colleges would expect her to be familiar with Morrison. I would recommend reading the book with your daughter. That way you can teach her Christian values, and have her come up with a Catholic response to the situations dealt with in the book.

It also might give you some more quality time with your daughter, especially during the troubling teen years, where she can have time to discuss more intimate and pressing details of her own life.

 

[LilyM]

Oh c’mon - what about all the blood and gore, witchcraft, transvestism and more - in Shakespeare (and of course rape - especially in something like his Titus Andronicus)

What about our own Holy Bible, plenty of rape and a smattering of incest just in Genesis!

 

[MomaMary8]

Ew! It was literature choices such as that in our local public highschool, (along with several other things,) that helped me decide to look for alternative educational options. I’m saddened to learn of this happening in Catholic schools. Well, I hope the classroom discussion would promote morality and Catholic values rather than “trumping” them. I wish high school literature focussed on the classics. Classics often include immoral behavior but show the negative consequence of immoral actions. Most of the classics authors had a world view consistent with Christian morality and that reflects in the stories.

Contemporary literature may or may not be written by authors with world views similar to Christianity.** I would expect Catholic schools to select literature that promotes Catholic values, *not ***literature that may undermine the faith and morality of the students. Any literature teacher should be able to recognize that well written stories can affect people and their behavior. If a literature teacher fails to understand the “power of the pen”, the teacher is hardly qualified to teach literature.

You probably know that the Bible contains a few stories with rape and incest–clearly portraying the acts as evil and providing no graphic details. If a teacher in a Catholic school wants to discuss literature about those sensitive issues, they could read the Bible. The Bible tells stories of sin and redemption, and any truly good literature worthy of a Catholic school should follow a similar plot. I would read the book in question with a yellow highlighter in hand. If I felt the story promoted values inconsistent with the Catholic Church, I would raise a huge fuss.

I could not have said it better!

You chose a Catholic School to re-enforce your Catholic faith (and moral teaching) not to undermine it.

Be sure to read the book yourself to have a true understanding of the books message.

 

[PRmerger]

Oh c’mon - what about all the blood and gore, witchcraft, transvestism and more - in Shakespeare (and of course rape - especially in something like his Titus Andronicus)

What about our own Holy Bible, plenty of rape and a smattering of incest just in Genesis!

Does this change your mind:

Here is an exerpt–be forewarned that the content is graphic and disturbing:

(describing a father’s thoughts regarding his 11 yr old daughter)

“The tenderness welled up in him, and he sank to his knees, his eyes on the foot of his daughter. Crawling on all fours toward her… The confused mixture of his memories of Pauline and the doing of a wild and forbidden thing excited him, and a bolt of desire ran down his genitals, giving it length, and softening the lips of his anus. Surrounding all of this lust was a border of politeness. He wanted to f___ her-tenderly. But the tenderness would not hold. The tightness of her vagina was more than he could bear…So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her.”

This is being read by 16-17 yr old girls.

 

[Consecrated]

If your daughter doesn’t read that book, she will be left out, because most colleges would expect her to be familiar with Morrison.

:ehh: BA in eng. lit. here, magna cum laude '02… never read Morrison, and was never expected to be *familiar *with her work.

 

[Consecrated]

Does this change your mind:

Here is an exerpt–be forewarned that the content is graphic and disturbing:

(describing a father’s thoughts regarding his 11 yr old daughter)

“The tenderness welled up in him, and he sank to his knees, his eyes on the foot of his daughter. Crawling on all fours toward her… The confused mixture of his memories of Pauline and the doing of a wild and forbidden thing excited him, and a bolt of desire ran down his genitals, giving it length, and softening the lips of his anus. Surrounding all of this lust was a border of politeness. He wanted to f___ her-tenderly. But the tenderness would not hold. The tightness of her vagina was more than he could bear…So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her.”

This is being read by 16-17 yr old girls.

my thoughts: i never want to see that again!! poor girls being taught to read this.

 

[monicatholic]

this is an excerpt from Tony Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eyes?

we read Shakespeare, my teens even read some Kurt Vonnegut, but yeah. THIS is a hill I’d die on. dead, dismembered, disemboweled, DIE on.

I don’t care how it’s treated in discussion. this wouldn’t happen. i’d send excerpts to every parent in her lit. class.

 

[Ceil-1]

You must reevaluate your child’s mode of education. This is a deliberate attempt to form your daughter to a perverted point of view. This society is in deep doo doo.

The high school my son wishes to attend reads Siddhartha, which contains similar filth. This knowledge has solidified my decision to send him to a private, co-op type school. It is a sin to send our children to school where we know there is a direct assault on chastity and values that encourage perversion and sin. (By the teachers, no less).

Look around, I will bet you there are places your daughter can attend that promote our values. It may seem like a sacrifice at first, but, she will adjust.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I read that book as a fifteen year old, have read another one of Morrison’s books and I have to say, it really depends on maturity. I love her work but I do find her themes disturbing

As for my thoughts on her reading this book, why don’t you ask her about it? If she really wants to read it regardless and you hold her back, she’ll read it on the sly and not discuss it with you. Why don’t you discuss it together, including the ultra gruesome and disturbing bits? Soon she’ll be out of your house and making decisions, including the kinds of books she reads, and it would help if she had the Catholic side of things. You could make this into a general discussion about lit and Catholicism and the merits and such. Turn this trial into something good.

 

[LilyM]

It’s graphic, I grant you - of course it’s only right to feel strongly about it, and absolutely it should be taken up with other parents and the school.

On the other hand I got subjected to Gloucester in King Lear having his eyeballs gouged out extremely graphically on stage. If memory serves, I’d been too slack to read that part of the play beforehand, so it was a real shock! not to mention Lavinia in Titus Andronicus being having her hands cut off and tongue cut out. blecch

And I can assure you, while most 16-17 year old girls aren’t reading graphic descriptions of child abuse on their own, plenty of them ARE reading, in some of the commonly-available teen magazines and other reputable publications like Cosmopolitan, graphic descriptions of how to give good blow jobs, erotic short stories and things like that.

God forgive me, I know I did, and I can’t imagine it’s less prevalent today. You’d rather they read about such things under parental and teacher supervision where the issues can be openly discussed, or behind your backs as most things are read?

And of the two I don’t know that a description such as Morrison’s mightn’t be preferable. Sure, it’s graphic and it depicts the warped mentality behind child abuse, but in no way does it glorify it or make it seem attractive, and would certainly get anyone who read it thinking about the issue of child abuse.

 

[IrishAm]

I can think of few better places to be exposed to graphic, but dynamic and powerful, literature than in a classroom of young Catholic women led by a sensitive, responsible Catholic teacher.

Only you can determine if this is the case for your daughter in her school.

Be assured, however, that she is likely being exposed to the concept of child rape, even incestuous rape, through television, movies, magazines, and the nightly news.

WHAT she is reading would not concern me; HOW it is handled would. And, yes, when my girls read books that I found troubling (including Shakespeare and Chaucer), I read along at the same time so I could discuss the books and its thematic moral issues with them as well . . .

 

[leonie]

I would have my child take a “F” before I would let him/her read a book with such graphic, perverted sexuality.

Any post secondary college that considers pornography good literature would not be the place that I would want my kid to go.

No, I would not like another adult to discuss this material with my child. Ever.

This is pornography. Science has shown that pornography changes brain chemistry. Despite their best attentions this material will replay in their minds.

What is wrong with people!!! Our moral standards have really slid downhill…

 

[LilyM]

I would have my child take a “F” before I would let him/her read a book with such graphic, perverted sexuality.

Any post secondary college that considers pornography good literature would not be the place that I would want my kid to go.

No, I would not like another adult to discuss this material with my child. Ever.

This is pornography. Science has shown that pornography changes brain chemistry. Despite their best attentions this material will replay in their minds.

What is wrong with people!!! Our moral standards have really slid downhill…

Pornography is defined for example in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as:

1 : the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) ***intended to cause sexual excitement ***
2 : material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior ***and is intended to cause sexual excitement ***3 : the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction

Being that, I’m certain, Toni Morrison was NOT intending to cause sexual excitement in her readers with that passage (almost certainly quite the opposite), it’s a borderline case at best. Not that I’m suggesting that it isn’t every bit as problematic, and possibly undesirable, as something that was frankly pornographic would be.