Posted on 02/26/2020 8:49:23 AM PST by Kaslin
Most critics agree that George Orwell's 1984 is a supremely great novel. But is it suitable for teenagers? After all, this book is a grim portrayal of a totalitarian dystopia, and for many readers, it is a traumatic experience.
Several years ago, I argued that 1984 is too deep, dark, and unpleasant for high school students. Let's protect them. Now the political atmosphere has shifted wildly. High school students praise socialism and even communism as if they know all about them. These kids don't need to be protected; they need to be educated.
I believe that Orwell wrote his beautiful but terrifying book as a gift to the world. Look what happens, he warns us, if you don't recognize danger. The demagogues promising Heaven on Earth? They are the ones most likely to put you in a concentration camp or a mass grave.
The presidential debates for 2020 have been historically memorable because so many Democrats came out of the political closet. They casually confirmed: Sure, I'm a socialist, aren't we all? Our Education Establishment, safe to say, has been busy for decades enabling these changes and now seems eager to build on them.
Our students don't need more propaganda. They need to learn hard, painful truths about ideologues who promise perfect societies. What is the flaw that lets socialist or communist countries descend so fast and furiously into barbarism? Stalin is routinely credited with killing 20 million of his own people. Mao's total is closer to 40 million. What is this curse?
Conversely, what protects the USA from those murderous fates?
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Even better is Burgess’ 1985, where Britain is taken over by liberalism and Islam
Start with “Animal Farm” and they’ll be ready for it.
I hope Trump unleashes K-12 school reform like we've never seen once he is re-elected.
Prophetic!
1984 was required reading in my 8th grade English class (1966). Mrs. Moises was a good teacher.
They should read it, and be told that it was about the soviet union, or in today’s terms, the democrat party.
Or at least let them watch the full 1954 animated movie version, which has some changes from the novel, but still gets the point across.
1984. Is that a book kids have to reed? Stick to putting condoms on cucumbers. Books are too hard.
They are all too willing to indoctrinate kids all the way down to the kindergarten level about having two mommies or daddies, but educating them about totalitarianism is simply too damaging.
Damaging to their future as possible leftists.
“is it suitable for teenagers?”
Not just suitable, it’s essential. However, by the time public school kids reach high school, they are already mostly indoctrinated and their brains are mush, so I don’t think the lessons of “1984” really sink in any more.
Orwell’s “1984” should be read in tandem with Huxley’s “Brave New World”, both address the enslavement of man, but by two different routes.
Probably best for high school age readers, in general, to grasp some concepts.
We read both in 7th or 8th grade (1984 and Animal Farm). It was in an advanced program, and our teachers were excellent, and that was before all of public education was taken over by indoctrination liberals.
With the appropriate discussions, I believe these can be effective for grades maybe 8-10.
But it was a different world in about 1970, and we grew up with values that do not seem to be in the forefront today. We learned about frugality, and heard of the struggles and sacrifices of our parents and grandparents in the Great Depression, as well as several wars that forever changed the world.
Today’s 7th graders (IMO) are more inclined to be worried about upgrading to the latest cell phone, getting out of class for their invisalign appointments, knowing there are “safe” spaces in their schools, sharing restrooms with all genders, using proper pronouns so as not to offend anyone......
“..Several years ago, I argued that 1984 is too deep, dark, and unpleasant for high school students. Let’s protect them. ...”
We’re seeing the results of them being “protected” now.
“...Conversely, what protects the USA from those murderous fates?...”
Several hundred million guns in the hands of Americans who absolutely REFUSE to live under a socialist/communist dictatorship and are willing to use them.
“Brave New World” is another must read.
“for many readers, it is a traumatic experience”
Traumatic, WTF?
Traumatic is their facial expressions when they see the taxes taken out of their first paycheck.
I got Brave New World in 1969, 10th grade.
“1984”, “Animal Farm” and “Harrison Bergeron” should be required reading in every high school. I would also include “The Gulag Archipelago”; I think it would be too much of a slog for high school, but should be a requirement in a university world literature course.
What a stupid argument. I read it in high school in the 1960s and understood it completely. It was deep and dark, but I was not at all "triggered" by it even though it was unpleasant.
It always has been, and still is, absolutely appropriate for high school students. Perhaps Millennial and younger generations would be more prepared to recognize the threat of socialism if this novel had been taught in schools for the last 40 years.
I'm glad the author of this column eventually came around to recognizing that it should be read in high school, but he sure is late to the game.
What should never have been taught in public schools is Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States."
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