Fun with Literature
I'm currently teaching a class on introductory literature. At the risk of contributing to Utah stereotypes, here are some excerpts from a reading journal I assigned my students to keep during the semester. All excerpts are preserved in their original, er, language:
On Kafka's "The Metamorphosis":
"I am extremely bothered and frustrated by the fact that we are reading a number of sexual interrupted stories. I am feeling overwhelmed and quite depress by the salacious nature of many of the conversations in class."
On poetry:
"I have always seen poetry as the written expression of depressed people."
On Keats' "Bright Star":
"I guess there is nothing like the ultimate orgasm."
On Gabriel Spera's "Kindness":
"DISGUSTING. I must say I think this is an absolutely inappropriate poem to have in any textbook unless it is a psychology book where students are analysis the psychosis of the perverted mind."
On Martin Espada's "Frederico's Ghost":
"This poem is environmentalist, which means antihuman, and Marxist."
On Alifa Rifaat's "Another Evening at the Club":
"I struggle to fathom why people are so willing fit into a society that is morally depraved as to put image above the value of human existence. It is just severely irritating."
(Not a Baywatch fan, then.)
On Kate Chopin's "The Storm":
"The freedom human beings need should not be elaborated through lust and disgust. Period. It disgusts that the only way authors seem to elaborate on situations such as this is to color human beings as something horrid and disgusting. I despise this."
During the last few weeks of class, we will be reading Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, and this student's head will EXPLODE.
On Kafka's "The Metamorphosis":
"I am extremely bothered and frustrated by the fact that we are reading a number of sexual interrupted stories. I am feeling overwhelmed and quite depress by the salacious nature of many of the conversations in class."
On poetry:
"I have always seen poetry as the written expression of depressed people."
On Keats' "Bright Star":
"I guess there is nothing like the ultimate orgasm."
On Gabriel Spera's "Kindness":
"DISGUSTING. I must say I think this is an absolutely inappropriate poem to have in any textbook unless it is a psychology book where students are analysis the psychosis of the perverted mind."
On Martin Espada's "Frederico's Ghost":
"This poem is environmentalist, which means antihuman, and Marxist."
On Alifa Rifaat's "Another Evening at the Club":
"I struggle to fathom why people are so willing fit into a society that is morally depraved as to put image above the value of human existence. It is just severely irritating."
(Not a Baywatch fan, then.)
On Kate Chopin's "The Storm":
"The freedom human beings need should not be elaborated through lust and disgust. Period. It disgusts that the only way authors seem to elaborate on situations such as this is to color human beings as something horrid and disgusting. I despise this."
During the last few weeks of class, we will be reading Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, and this student's head will EXPLODE.
posted by Chazzbot at 8:40 AM
2 Comments:
My favorite entries from you involve the little quotes from students. You ought to compile them for a book. I'd buy it. And, question for you, do you feel an insane sense of glee knowing that students are responding this way and that you, in some godlike manner, are setting their pointy little brains up for it?
Yes, it's like painting those little pewter D&D figures and setting them aside to engage in their imaginary wars only to knock them off the game table and step on them later in bare feet. Or something like that.
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