Re: I've been trying to learn
Ed Fenning (ed361@yahoo.com)
Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:23:50 -0700 (PDT)
--- Car Land Er Son <lost_hopes@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> >however, I think being pushed
> >into reading authors you don't like is a good
> thing. I think lit mixes
> >loving and criticizing...ingesting a good variety
> of books helps make
> >your reading skills develop more variety.
>
The
> teacher I have, however,
> seems discredit and devalue a lot of the ideas I
> bring up in her class
> because I like Salinger yet not all of Vonnegut.
> She herself liked Salinger
> as a teenager and even bragged about owning a first
> edition "Catcher", but
> when I criticized Vonnegut, she didn't seem too
> pleased and an almost like
> "how could you?" look came over her face
Carl -
Only my opinion, but at the high school level I think
your teacher is being unduly harsh and judgemental of
your opinions. As per my earlier post, at this
level, when we all still have a little ways to go, for
a public school teacher to become almost personal in
his/her disgreement with a student is uncalled for and
inappropriate. I have since over the years sat around
with friends, some who went to the same high school or
other folks I've met since and compared notes,
classroom war stories. Though there are certainly
memories where we look at each other and say 'Yeah, I
must have been real immature those ten-fifteen plus
years ago; there are also many times when we're have
very strong reactions upon hearing memories of
situations that are similar to yours, where teachers
had intimidated and browbeat students in varying
degrees.
Vonnegut and Salinger and so different, and for your
teacher to be scornful of your thoughts without
prompting to you express your reasons for your
disagreement is poor teaching indeed.
I like Vonnegut, but face it, I think Salinger is a
probably a better writer and has more to say -
Vonnegut wrote a lot in the late 60's - early '70's
when "things were happening" and though some of the
ideas expressed in his writing may be timeless
observations/insights that call for the reader to
think and reconsider human values (during the time
people were dying in Vietnam, and there was anger
about hypocracy, racism, and continued poverty at
home)I think his writing style is too simple and
obvious to be really great literature and stand the
test of time. The only book of his I would go back
and read because I want to is Slaughterhouse Five.
The others I would go back and read, to see if my
above opinion is wrong, since what I just wrote is
based on memories of his books that I probably last
read during '69-'75 or so. (OTHER BANANFISHERS -
PLEASE RESPOND - DISAGREEMENTS MORE THAN WELCOME : ))
One more thing about your teacher. There is an annual
sandcastle/sandsculpture competition that takes place
on the beach up in Ipswich, Massachusetts. There are
categories for children, amatures and professionals;
*that's right* the latter referring to artists or
architects from Boston firms who are young at heart
and pile into cars for the hour's drive north - to
sculpt elaborate buildings, figures etc. In the entry
brochure they say facetiously something like, 'Anyone
can enter any or all categories however, we would look
dimly on or strongly discourage professionals from
entering the amateur or childrens' categories. Get my
drift????
It's also very tacky to brag to one's high school
class about owning a 1st edition of Catcher (or any
book for that matter); if she has a sports car she'll
be telling you about her awesome mag wheels next!!!
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