We once read a book called "Feed" in high school - a ham fisted anti-capitalist book. Wherein citizens are 100% connected to an internet like service that only exists to sell them products. 90% of the class couldnt get it. Even when the teacher sat down and explained the entire plot of the book they still couldnt wrap their head around it.

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[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

I knew it very well, both as a student and as a teacher.

Fahrenheit 451 is about "government censorship."

Romeo and Juliet is about, and exclusively about, "forbidden love."

Pride and Prejudice is about how dreamy Mr. Darcy is.

Grapes of Wrath is about how it sucks to be poor I guess.

They seemed much more interested in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." :jokerfied:

[–] steve5487@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

grapes of wrath explicitly says capitalism is evil how and why. what the fuck

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago

If you want to suffer, get into teaching, follow the standardized teaching mandates, and get to the part where you leave it open to the students what they think the story is about.

There are no wrong answers, because having no united message benefits capitalism and the alienation is the point.

[–] axont@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

When we read it in middle school our teachers gave us an open invitation to discuss the meaning. 99% of the students said it was an allegory for suffering while still being faithful to God, like some kind of virtuous suffering. The teachers didn't really get into how Steinbeck was himself a socialist.

Also I'm guessing most of the students were giving a kind of "yeah, uh huh" answer.

[–] viva_la_juche@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

allegory for suffering while still being faithful to God

Puritanism and its consequences…

[–] BigAssBlueBug@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago

Our school had to ban diary of a wimpy kid because for mandatory reading 90% of kids wanted to read them for the 12th time.

[–] SaniFlush@hexbear.net 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Didn’t Ray Bradbury explicitly say Fahrenheit 451 was about how crass and pandering television was compared to literature?

[–] ssjmarx@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

He infamously stormed out of a university discussion on the book because he felt everyone there was misinterpreting it.

[–] SaniFlush@hexbear.net 1 points 2 years ago

The line “Jesus Christ selling deodorant” comes to mind