Brave New World

[RunningGirl]

Awesome deity in Brave New World!

ford family

I'm pretty sure I read this in high school, eons ago. I actually just re-read it a couple of weeks ago, as it was offered up for next-to-nothing on Amazon ebooks. I would have no issue with my kids reading this book in school.

 

[ManyMinnie]

I'm pretty sure I read this in high school, eons ago. I actually just re-read it a couple of weeks ago, as it was offered up for next-to-nothing on Amazon ebooks. I would have no issue with my kids reading this book in school.

I read it in high school, too and I'd have no issue with my children reading it in high school.

 

[MrsDuck]

I read it in my 10th grade pre-AP class and loved it.

Pretty embarrassing that the principal had to ask... he could've at least Google'd it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I tried reading it once. Got bored 25 pages in. I was an English major, and there are plenty of books I haven't read.

Although I would have looked it up if I had to make a decision about it.

 

[olwyngdh]

It sounds to me like some parent is afraid that their child might learn to think. Pity that. I am surprised that the principal isn't at least somewhat familiar with the book though, it is pretty cannonical. And I do agree that even English Majors don't read every book--I managed to get a MA without ever reading Moby Dick!

 

[soccerdad72]

And I hope the four English teachers were able to give her an accurate summary of the book and why it is important and useful in a high school English class.

I certainly don't expect every Principal to be totally conversant in the details of every subject matter in the school. Evidently the Principal hasn't read the book. Maybe her high school read 1984 instead. I don't see the big deal.

ITA with this. I don't see this as a big deal on any fronts.

 

[cybrkitn]

I read that when I was in 12th grade in 1989/1990 and absolutely LOVED the book. I couldn't put it down! It was much better than George Orwell's 1984 that I was reading prior to switching books to Brave New World. 1984 was too descriptive for me and not enough character interaction (aka conversations).

Sheesh! Parents need to calm down a bit. They make such a big deal about everything now-a-days that it's ridiculous!

 

[DopeyDame]

I know I'm being a bit repetative, but I'm still strugling to understand why people are blaming the Principal for anything? If my boss had a question about something in my area of expertise, I would really, really hope he'd actually ASK ME instead of googling it.

Sure, the Principal could find the plot out online, but that's almost certainly NOT what he was most interested in. Instead, he wanted to know (or at least should have wanted to know) how the book furthered the goals of his English department, and how his teachers used the book in their classes. To understand that information, he'd need to know not just the actual plot, but also the plot and thesis AS INTERPRETED BY HIS TEACHERS. Nothing on google would have given him that information.

It sounds to me like he went to the experts on the subject instead of being lazy and googling.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I know I'm being a bit repetative, but I'm still strugling to understand why people are blaming the Principal for anything? If my boss had a question about something in my area of expertise, I would really, really hope he'd actually ASK ME instead of googling it.

Sure, the Principal could find the plot out online, but that's almost certainly NOT what he was most interested in. Instead, he wanted to know (or at least should have wanted to know) how the book furthered the goals of his English department, and how his teachers used the book in their classes. To understand that information, he'd need to know not just the actual plot, but also the plot and thesis AS INTERPRETED BY HIS TEACHERS. Nothing on google would have given him that information.

It sounds to me like he went to the experts on the subject instead of being lazy and googling.

I agree with his asking, too. I think the most useful answer whould include the why, not just the plot. And while I do remember liking that one in school, I also remember that I read it for a senior elective, so it wouldn't seem odd to me at all if not everyone has.

 

[yoopermom]

Now y'all drove me to google

Here's an interesting article about why it's taught in schools (found with the search phrase "Brave New World why is it taught in schools"):

http://www.shmoop.com/brave-new-world/

Terri

 

[Praying Colonel]

I know I'm being a bit repetative, but I'm still strugling to understand why people are blaming the Principal for anything? If my boss had a question about something in my area of expertise, I would really, really hope he'd actually ASK ME instead of googling it.

Sure, the Principal could find the plot out online, but that's almost certainly NOT what he was most interested in. Instead, he wanted to know (or at least should have wanted to know) how the book furthered the goals of his English department, and how his teachers used the book in their classes. To understand that information, he'd need to know not just the actual plot, but also the plot and thesis AS INTERPRETED BY HIS TEACHERS. Nothing on google would have given him that information.

It sounds to me like he went to the experts on the subject instead of being lazy and googling.

I'd say "blame" is the wrong word. I find it odd that a principal could go through 4 years of high school, 4 years of college, obtain a post-graduate degree, work in a high school and not know what Brave New World is about.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'd say "blame" is the wrong word. I find it odd that a principal could go through 4 years of high school, 4 years of college, obtain a post-graduate degree, work in a high school and not know what Brave New World is about.

It's not his or her job to know that unless the Principal is a micromanager. If the Principal was an English teacher, than maybe it's something you'd think he or she would know, but otherwise I don't really find it odd at all.

 

[DopeyDame]

I'd say "blame" is the wrong word. I find it odd that a principal could go through 4 years of high school, 4 years of college, obtain a post-graduate degree, work in a high school and not know what Brave New World is about.

OK, fair enough. I just don't find it that odd. I read the book in high school, and still don't really remember what it's about. I mean, I remember the big themes, but not any of the specific plot details - I'd certainly want to get a refresher before making decisions and having parental discussions. And if the Principal was a math major and teacher, his last real English class was probably in high school. Presumably many decades ago by the time he became a Principal. It just doesn't strike me as at all odd that he never read it, didn't have it come up much in his educational circles, and when he needed to have a discussion about it, he went to his subject matter experts to get some information and education.

If the Principal had been an English major, and the school was trying to decide what science books to use, I wouldn't find it at all odd if he went to his physics teachers and said "tell me what relativity is about" before making a decision.

 

[nathalee81]

I want to say I read the book when I sophomore? I never did read 1984, though.

I enjoyed most the books that I read while in high school-the one book I disliked was Grapes of Wrath. Don't know why, that book just didn't strike my fancy.

I'm curious if the parents decided to let their children read the book?