Literary Analysis or Amateur Psychology?

A friend shared her son’s 7th grade English assignment.

 

This worksheet makes my stomach churn.  It entirely misses the point of this often referenced, much misunderstood passage. In it, Tom Sawyer must white wash the fence but instead, convinced his peers to do it for him and pay him to do so.  The importance is not in the “manipulation” but in the understanding of the meaning of work versus play.  Tom lies and deceives his friends, but look, he’s a scoundrel.  He’s a likeable and very funny scoundrel and the scene is one of literature’s notable passages.

Tom Sawyer

How about teaching that the attitude you take towards “work” makes all the difference? That indeed, if you enjoy your task, it’s a pleasure and people may even pay to do it.  Then discuss the merits of Tom’s conclusion and Twain’s genius. Does the reader think that such behavior will always work out so neatly and nicely? Instead of examining literary elements and the author’s intent, the worksheet is an exercise in amateur psychology.

These questions are not far from the logic used by a high school teacher to take the Nazi position that Jews are evil (link to article)   and empathize with why they acted as they did, or to take the position of any culprit, criminal, and antagonist in literature.  To study vice is meaningful and there’s a lesson for the reader, but study NOT empathy needs to come from understanding the character’s flaws, bad choices, risks.  Is the vice what we hope to teach children?  the behavior we wish them to emulate?  to deceive and lie?  to be scoundrels?

Somewhere in the middle of the last century, educators divorced the curriculum from goodness, virtue, and the association of knowledge with excellence.  This worksheet is a foul and perverse result of the absolute vacuum of moral study today.  Toleration AND empathy of every viewpoint, often the victim and the antagonist, inevitably leads to this wasteland of thought.

Will your child learn what he needs to from this worksheet?  You can read the complete chapter from Tom Sawyer here, chapter link.

Twain concludes the value of the anecdote himself and Tom learns something important at the end of his charade.

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of  human action, without knowing it–namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is OBLIGED to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers  or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or  climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.  The boy mused awhile over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward headquarters to report.  (Tom Sawyer, Twain)

Here is an excerpt about the assignment the teacher gave to high school students.

“You must argue that Jews are evil, and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!” the assignment, posted on the Times Union website, reads.

The Albany newspaper reports that one-third of students boycotted the assignment, prompting Albany Superintendent Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard to apologize to families, adding, “I don’t believe there was malice or intent to cause any insensitivities to our families of Jewish faith.”

The superintendent blamed tougher Common Core standards that require “sophisticated” writing linking English composition to other subjects, like world history. But not all are buying it.”  (Huffington Post Link)

The superintendent’s comment exposes the problem in the educational establishment today, that somehow only Jewish families might find this insensitive!

Mar 30, 2014

0 Comments

About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

Stay Up to Date

Rise above the tedium with the TreeHouseLetter. Always learning with a bit of fun.

Latest Posts

Munger on Learning and the Art of Swearing

In memory of Charles T. Munger, who passed away at the age of 99, I am sharing a TreeHouseLetter from last year. Munger was a man who believed in always learning. In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the...

Giving Thanks for a Man I Never Met

4 Min read On love and Thanksgiving Three rules for life AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY * I did not know the deceased. Garrett gave the eulogy on Friday* which was hard to listen to, hard to hear his voice quaver, to see him fight for composure. Death is a surprise....

On Flesh-Eating Beetles and Sins of the Mother

7 Min read Sense writing: traditional five plus two more 2 Reading recs: historical novel and story 1 Writing guide Improve writing immediately Toolbox, ages 9 to 99 AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify * Writing Through the Seven Senses When I'm working on an aspect of my...

In the Company of Heroes*

4 Min read Operation Gothic Serpent / "Black Hawk Down" 30-Year Anniversary 160th SOAR(A), Night Stalkers Panel Discussion: Mike Durant (Pilot & POW), Dan Jollota (Pilot), Lee Van Arsdale (Ground commander) Veterans Day AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify * This Veterans...

Spooky Hour with Spirits of the Dead

6 min read Word Work 2 Lexicons: Webster's NID 2nd Ed and Shorter OED 1 Book rec Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day Fall mocktail, easy and delicious AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY Lakeview Cemetery next to my father's grave * No pressure but what are you doing...

What’s in Your Trunk?

5 Min read New England's largest flea market* Poetry for Emergencies--on the folly of fame, legacy, empire Sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley Book rec on writing song lyrics Toolbox, use 7 senses to improve writing** Texan king in a cow pasture AVAILABLE ON PODCAST...

Why Do I Run?

7 min read 4 book recs: two on running and two on living Running gear for mid-life and the mid-packer Training, injury-free and effortless The Army Ten-Miler * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY * Why do I run? I'm not sure I like running, even when I was fit and fast....

Topics

Inoculate yourself against the absurdity of life with a dose of the best ideas and writing. Always learning with a bit of fun.

TreeHouseLetter

Always learning with a bit of fun

 

 

Readers receive one to two letters a week, with 2 to 10 minute read time. Includes regular features:

 

The Music in Prose
Poetry for Emergencies
Toolbox

 

 

Be inspired by the best writing and ideas, and become better readers and writers in the process.

Thank you for joining! Please check your email for a confirmation.