Don’t make me throw this hummus, its spicy!

A unit plan text set based on The Crucible 

This weekend I was babysitting and took my young charges to see ParaNorman. As I sat in the theater with my contraband grocery store candy I found myself thinking back to my witchy blog posts, and the note I added about supplementary texts in my Minister’s Daughter entry. So, I decided to expand Why do we have to read this? to include the occasional blog solely about supplementary texts.

First of all, I realize I have yet to review a nonfiction book. That being said, I can’t knock the importance of them. This blog is meant to be a journey/reflection of my own literary experience through high school and college and how I feel it has shaped me as a reader and how this experience would shape other readers.

But, the fact of the matter is that the times they are a-changing.

The entire face of teaching is changing under new standards and teacher evaluations. 80% of what we read in the English classroom should be nonfiction. So, here is a sample set of texts I feel support a unit centered on the Miller’s classic The Crucible.

Let’s begin with some themes. The unit is not Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the unit is a theme that is supported by the text. Some themes for this play are: Mass hysteria, abuse of power, and one’s reputation/place in society. There are more, but that should hold you over ‘til dinner.   

Moving on, The Crucible is a work of fiction but is based on true events. A good place to start is with some historical context. First of all, let us not forget this play isn’t just about Salem, The Crucible is a response to Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt in America. Lucky for us, the transcripts of the McCarthy Senate Hearings are all available online. Find them here. Pick a section and make your classroom a courtroom! Have students act out a scene before you begin reading the play and then compare and contrast as the tale unravels.

 

For more historical background try; The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson. Honestly, I have not read this but it comes highly recommended, is at a fair reading level and is supposed to present all the facts in an interesting and easy way. Plus, those of us who have read Jackson’s other work know how awesome she is. There are many other books and articles out there about Salem, so do some research and find the ones you like best for your classroom.  

As a fiction supplement, you all already know how I feel about The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn. This would probably be better as an independent read but the themes of hysteria and the reputation of one in a closed society are still there. 

Any good English teacher knows that a “text” isn’t just a book. There are many things that can be read and interpreted. So let us not limit our list to books and add Witch Hunt by Rush. Take a listen here. Witch Hunt is an amazing song from an amazing album by an amazing band, but that is neither here nor there. The important thing is the song presents a lovely music representation of hysteria. The listener can hear the mob at the ready, and feel the escalating tension. Make sure to look at the lyrics too, because they’re awesome! This song lends itself to discussion not only about Salem and the McCarthy Senate Hearings, but also about modern-day witch hunts. This leads to the next nonfiction segment—send your students on a witch hunt!

Have students find articles/news stories/etc about “witch hunts” in more modern times. Think the terrorist witch hunt after 9/11. Is it an election year? Think about the attacks on candidates by the public, the media, and other candidates. Barack Obama is a communist who’s not actually an American citizen? May as well call him a witch. There are so many opportunities here to make connections, and talk about history and the society we live in today. Ask your students: Have we really, truly changed? How do rumors get spread nowadays? Would there have been more deaths in Salem if Abigail & Company had unlimited texting?

Finally, the inspiration for this whole thing—ParaNorman. The last thing I expected when I went to see this movie was to get a blog post out of it, yet here we are. The movie was entirely enjoyable and I loved the ode to old school horror films, though it was slightly more mature than I would have liked for the children I brought with me. ParaNorman brings in great elements of a town that is too quick to stir up history. There’s the hysteria and quick judgments we’ve all come to know and love so well. The movie is a great example of how fear changes people, and how quickly people turn on what they don’t understand. The lesson comes from Norman’s grandma, and it’s simple and beautiful: “There’s nothing wrong with being scared, Norman, as long as you don’t let it change who you are.”

This would be a great time to discuss with your students what the people of Salem were actually afraid of. Social disgrace? The devil? Being outcast? The fires of hell? That being said, what fears went along with the communist witch hunt? How are they similar/different from the Salem fears? Do people experience these fears nowadays?

 

So this is the beginning. There are obviously other texts to choose from, but these are some I feel are highlights. To the readers and teachers out there I’d love a comment on this post to let me know how this new branch of the blog is working out, and if it’s at all helpful. There is a lot changing in the realm of education right now and I think that a lot of people are fearful of the changes. But now is the time to be brave and face and accept all the newness head on. I believe this is an exciting time to be a teacher. There are going to be so many opportunities to become better, highly effective, teachers and the students have so much to gain from that. We expect our students to be prepared every day and for them to be 21^st Century Learners, but teachers also have to be constant learners. We need to be 21^st Century Learners ourselves. 

It’s getting to be that back to school time again. To the students: good luck, and remember, September means back to books! To the teachers: go get ‘em, tiger!

I read this whole book and still don’t know why MDC killed John Lennon

Review of The Catcher in the Rye by: JD Salinger 

Once again we begin in my junior year of high school. It was a very exciting time because we were about to read one of the ALA’s most frequently challenged books, The Catcher in the Rye. I remember my teacher making a really big deal about the fact that it’s a challenged book and telling us that if you found a book on the ALA’s most challenged list reprehensible for some reason then you didn’t have to read it.

At this point me, in all my glory, raised my hand and said “Well, MDC supposedly killed John Lennon because of Catcher in Rye and I’m pretty offended by that.”

My English teacher just stared at me. I’m not sure if I was the first person to ever question the “you don’t have the read the challenged book” thing or the first person to bring up John Lennon’s assassination, but either way I read Salinger’s book. Twice.

*Summary Contains Spoilers*

The story opens with our protagonist, 16 year old Holden Caulfield, about to be expelled from his 4^th fancy-pants prep school. Most of his classmates are at a football game and he watches them, feeling isolated. He goes to say goodbye to one of his favorite teachers, but becomes irritated when said favorite teacher gets on Holden’s case because he never applies himself.

Those darn teachers. Always prepared to lecture.

Holden only becomes more irritated when he returns to his dorm to find his roommate, Stradlater, leaving to meet his date Jane Gallagher. Holden gets jittery because he likes Jane and they used to “date” or something. He doesn’t like the idea of Stradlater getting it on with Jane, so when the guy gets home Holden confronts him. The boys wrestle and Holden acquires a bloody nose.

At this point in the novel it’s a few days before the fall semester ends for Christmas break. As he is now irritated all the phonies at school and is gonna get kicked out anyways, Holden decides to skip town early and go home to NYC, feeling isolated. However, he doesn’t go to his house and decides instead to check into a hotel for a few days. And so begins Holden’s romp around the city.

He takes a cab from the train station to the hotel and asks the driver what happens to the ducks in the central park lagoon in the winter. The driver is irritated with the question and just takes Holden to the hotel.

After he’s settled Holden tries to call some people, or thinks about trying to call them but, feeling isolated, comes up with all sorts of excuses.

He goes down to the bar in the hotel and dances with some women, and then begins to think about Jane. They met when their families vacationed in houses next door to one another. Jane and Holden used to hang out and they would play checkers on the porch in the evening. One night Jane’s stepfather interrupts the game, and she cries when he leaves. Holden takes her in his arms and tries to kiss her. She won’t let him kiss her mouth so he kisses her all over her face. And thus concludes Holden’s only sexual contact to date.

At this point in my English class I had read ahead of everyone else in the class, because I was into Holden’s story. I went to see my teacher during her planning period because I had some questions. Namely, do we ever find out in the book that Holden was abused in any way? I thought and still think the Holden’s withdrawn behavior may indicate that something horrific happened to him in his childhood. (Aside from the death of his brother.)

So, my teacher told me she always thought the same thing but my question isn’t ever really addressed. But, she said, keep reading and I’ll come to the part of the book that leads her to agree with me.

After a night of scotch and soda, Holden returns to the hotel where the elevator operator tells him he can send a prostitute to his room. Sunny the prostitute comes by, takes her dress off, sits on Holden’s lap, and Holden tells her he’s recovering from surgery and can’t have sex. He tries to have a nice talk with Sunny, but she’s not interested. Holden becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the entirety of the encounter and tells Sunny to leave.

The next day Holden calls up Sally, a girl he used to “date” and they spend the day together. Holden eventually asks her to run away with him and live in a cabin in Maine or Vermont. She’s horrified and reacts as such and Holden is horrified at her reaction and reacts as such. They part ways and Holden gets drunk, feeling isolated. He drunk dials Sally, and then decides to break into his parents’ house. As he’s creeping around he wakes up his little sister, Phoebe. Phoebe is the only person Holden likes. She scolds him for getting kicked out of school again and he tells her about his real dream…*drumroll please*…to be the catcher in the rye. Just like in the poem, he’ll save little children from falling off a cliff. Also known as protecting the innocence of children so they don’t grown up and become phony and jaded like him.

Phoebe tells him he’s ridiculous and he misinterpreted the poem. You can find it here.

Holden then goes to crash at another old teacher’s house, but when he wakes up to the teacher stroking Holden’s forehead Holden freaks and runs as he is severely homophobic.

The novel winds down with Holden sending a note to Phoebe telling her he’s running away. She wants to go with him and he, of course, refuses. Phoebe follows Holden anyways and he makes her ride a carousel. It begins to rain, but Holden is finally happy watching his sister acting as she should be—like a little girl. Holden then tells the reader he doesn’t want to bother them with the story of how he went home and got sick, but he does want to try to go back to school in the fall.      

I have heard two theories about the end of the novel and the setting from where Holden tells his story. 1) He had a psychotic break and is in a mental facility. 2) He got TB and is in a recovery home type place where he still sees a psychologist.

As Holden spends the majority of the novel wandering about NYC in December in the rain, drunk, and only a hunting hat for warmth, I can accept either ending as fact. Though as I am the gal writing this blog about Holden’s confession I think he would have to label me as phony, so you decide what ending works for you.

And here is where I sat, finishing the novel for the second time (once on my own and once on par with my class) and still had no idea why MDC thought Holden wanted John Lennon dead. Screw you MDC for ruining good literature and taking one of music’s greatest heroes from us.

Report Card:

Catcher in the Rye is a classic in the canon of high school literature. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t read it, and the reaction is always the same—you either love it or you hate it.

For me, there are scenes in the novel that I really like (the carousel scene—BEAUTIFUL), and also scenes that I don’t (the Jazz bar, other drunk shenanigans). Overall, I do enjoy me some Catcher in the Rye. It’s a book that has grown on me over the years, and not being a teenager anymore has actually made me appreciate it more. Therefore, I shall give it an A.

But, there are some things to address.

1) Why is it such an important book for high schoolers to read? Some people say its because of Holden’s isolation. He’s angry and hormonal and just like any other 16 year old, right? Why don’t you want to read about this kid who’s lonely and searching for something for a real adult connection with someone, just like you?

Though I would argue the real importance of this book comes with all the themes running through it. High schoolers need to start thinking critically about books and movies and such and Salinger’s novel is a great jumping off point. From Holden’s feelings of isolation to his obsession with keeping his sister young and innocent there is so much to talk about and think about in regards to this novel. I remember Catcher sparking a lot of talk in my class, and good talk about good books is never a bad thing.

2) The Catcher in the Rye questions and conspiracy theories!

Is Holden crazy? Sick? Did he have a metal break or TB? Was he sexually abused? What life choices lead Sunny to prostitution? Was Jane sexually abused? Is the teacher really gay? How did Holden’s brother die? Are Holden’s parents cold and distant? Is Phoebe a super genius? Where do the Central Park ducks go in the winter?

I promise you these questions (but not their answers) and many more as you dive into Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye!