LOTF: Attack of the English Teachers

I received two interesting comments from actual, bona fide high school English teachers about my Lord of the Flies post.

Dr. Gregg Cramer is the Department Coordinator for the English Departrment at Middleton High School, in Middleton, Wisconsin.

"Many of our teachers use LOTF in our English 10 class," Doc Cramer wrote. "I would if I were teaching it, but I haven't been assigned to this class for several years. The premise of the book seems worthwhile as an admonition to youngsters: without proper supervision, young folks might tend toward chaos. Teachers who leave the classroom or study area for even a few minutes can often be reminded of this."

Howard Clausner teaches in the same time zone, in Northbrook, Illinois, at Glenbrook North High School, which was used by alumnus John Hughes for the exteriors in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

"LOTF is still assigned -- perhaps just because it HAS been assigned for the past thirty years. I have a collegue, now teaching in another state, who reported that she was beginning to teach the text for the twenty-ninth year running. Phew!" Mr. Clausner wrote.

"The tale does engage tenth graders. The messages -- not to mention the symbols -- are unmistakable and relevant to issues in the 21st Century. And so why not teach it? While I personally have listed LOTF as one of the optional texts on an independent reading list, I do not 'teach' the text as I 'teach' Macbeth, The Odyssey, or Pride and Prejudice.

"First, the message in LOTF is so straightforward that it doesn't need to be 'taught.' Second, the language of the text isn't notable for its beauty, or simplicity -- so that doesn't recommend it. Third, it's a story about boys -- indeed, boys behaving badly. After Macbeth and The Odyssey, students need a break from male protagonists and perspectives. And finally, I've not been personally wowed by the text -- not when I was a kid, not as a new teacher, nor now as a seasoned teacher."