If you thought “would of gave” was bad, then sweet fancy Moses, you should have seen the assignments my writing students turned in last week. There was a near complete failure to understand the directions — many of them attempted to write about descriptive language without quoting any examples from the text, because apparently writing “he uses a lot of language that is descriptive, which helps to describe things” will suffice. Why bother citing the particulars, right? I’m sure your readers will take your word for it.
Worse than that, they made no attempt to disguise their prejudice against the particular ethnic group being discussed. They were all “these people” and “these neighborhoods,” talking out of their asses and eventually implying that anyone from outside the suburbs is engaged in “criminal activity” and “illegal situations.” Lord, how I dreaded going over the papers with them the next day. I think my response to the whole thing started somewhere around “Be careful of the cultural assumptions you are making” and warmed up to “This is something I take very seriously,” finishing with a resounding “You just…can’t say that.? It’s not cool.” The whole thing was horrible and awkward, and I am not entirely sure I handled it right. Damned chowderheads.
In other news, I spent Labor Day weekend buying new furniture at Ikea and then putting it together, and now my house has a bedroom and a coffee table. It is like living in the lap of luxury, I tell you what.
In still other news, it seems like I am only getting my comment-notification emails about half the time. Since I don’t always check this site itself, I have been missing some comments. Poo. Click that “Submit” button with extra enthusiasm, then. Submit!
The problem with telling people that racism is uncool or impolite is that they’re liable to walk away thinking that’s what’s wrong with it. Instead of that it’s just fucking stupid.
But to persuade them that it really is just fucking stupid is a major undertaking, and a distraction from hammering literature into their empty little heads.
I think the easiest way to persuade them that racism is just fucking stupid is to make them read The Sneetches over and over and over again until they get it. If they don’t get it, if they think it’s about fat kids on the playground or something, just yell, “THE SNEETCHES WITHOUT STARS ARE AN ALLEGORY FOR BLACKS YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!” Continue to shout this until they get it or security arrives, whichever comes first.
If you think that might be a little too detrimental to your career, there’s always holy, cleansing fire.
Along Tim’s line of suggestion: Do they all need to read To Kill a Mockingbird again? Thinking about it, it’s certainly discouraging that they have these views, but they’re somewhat open about it (whether consciously or not). That way, at least you know what you’re dealing with.
Maybe we need a “Remedial Literature for Racists” class where they read the sneeches and Mockingbird over and over until they get it. Also on the list, Ellison’s Invisible Man, which I freaking love.
I should also mention that these things I cited were not too terribly far afield from things I have seen in Zemblan students papers, even though the Zemblans professed otherwise. We’ll all remember my favorite Writing 101 paper title of all time, “Prejudice: I am Tired of It!”