The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > There's more to study than politics > Comments

There's more to study than politics : Comments

By Simon Haines, published 15/6/2006

Has literature been hijacked by postmodernist teachers with an axe to grind?

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. All
Thank You Simon Haines, for your excellent article.

As a redneck, I am naturally concerned that the promotion of post marxist ideology seems to have become prevalent within our schools by preacher teachers. But even I have to admit that the study of literature does indeed include the study of the values and attitudes that were current at the time that the author wrote his or her work. That, to me, is what makes literature so interesting.

I still chuckle at the tract written by the Roman official, who reported on the character of the rebel British female cheiftain Boedicea. "She is said to be very intelligent, for a woman."

I think that literature is an interesting subject because it promotes the idea of thinking on different levels and in different dimensions. Examining contemporary attitudes is just one aspect of literature which fasciantes me. My only proviso is, that I find it disturbing if students are scored on the basis of their abilities to confirm the ideological convictions of their teachers, rather than their abilities to think for themselves.
Posted by redneck, Sunday, 18 June 2006 7:13:50 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
My first interest in the written word was reading so called fairy stories, gradually I moved up the range of literature and still think there is nothing better than a good book.
But would the stories by the Grimm brothers be permitted now? Most of them contain a great deal of violence towards animals and people , all I can remember of them now is the battle between good and evil that had me enthralled and the good side HAD to win, it was unthinkable otherwise.
Today's politically correct idiots would probably die with one leg in the air at the thought of children being subjected to such literature. I am sorry for today's young readers if all they get is Marxism.
Posted by mickijo, Sunday, 18 June 2006 2:41:25 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Just wanted to register my disappointment at the paucity of comments to Simon Haines’ singularly excellent article.

I guess the lack of comments here is reflective of the fact that what Haines had to say is so sensible that it would be quite difficult to mount a reasonable argument against it.

But nobody, least of all mickijo, need worry that Marxism is “all they get”, or even any of what “they get”, in English classes these days. The fact that so many people seem so ready to believe this canard is quite bewildering. If you’re really concerned about it, go and talk to local teachers and you’ll see what big “Marxists” they all are (not). The Reds are no more at the blackboard than they ever were under the bed. So please just get over it.
Posted by Mercurius, Tuesday, 18 July 2006 4:40:52 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy