L. M.
Teaching Tolerance
The class discussion around Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has really made me think about how to handle stereotypes in my classroom. My usual opinion is that stereotypes are bad, and I should refuse to allow them in my class. Unfortunately, this issue is not black-and-white. The reactions of my classmates to my comments during the discussion made me wonder if I am actually being too intolerant with my zero-tolerance attitude. I know that there are times and situations in which stereotypes and the truth are living happily together, but I have trouble with the idea of allowing stereotypes to be seen as true in a world that still has so much hate towards so many groups of people.
I understand the arguments posed by my classmates during the discussion of Aristotle and Dante. I understand that they thought Aristotle was gay because he actually was gay. I understand that it is good reading, not homophobia, to see the clues the author leaves within the story. What I do not understand is how to balance their close reading skills with my certainty that it is dangerous to tell a teenager that someone is gay because he puts his life on the line for a friend, or because he gets upset over a hate crime. What I do understand is that there is a machismo attitude surrounding male friendships that is damaging our society. I know that.
What is not in dispute here is whether or not homosexuality is a bad thing. It is not. What I am arguing is that it is perceived as bad by some. This point is essential. It is not that I believe it is a bad thing for a boy to be gay; it is that I do not want the characteristics normally associated with being gay to be seen as personality traits to avoid. High school is hard to get through psychologically when you are “normal.” I cannot imagine the difficulty for a gay student, but that is not who I am worried about here. I am worried about the straight kid who does not want to be seen as gay because gay equals bad in his mind, or in the minds of those around him. Often, for a teenager, the need to fit in is incredibly strong. So, what happens when you take a sensitive, kind teenage boy who wants the approval of his peers and give him the messages that gay is bad and that sensitive equals gay? Nothing good is what happens. Again, I am not talking about how things should be, just how they are. Many students exist in an environment that gives the message that being gay makes you somehow less-than. That attitude is what I, as the teacher, have to work with. It is irresponsible for me to add to this message in any way. So, then, is it ethical for me to condone the idea that being a good friend and a sensitive person are clues that someone is gay, even if that is the storyline of the book we are reading?
Perhaps the fault lies with the character in the book. Maybe the character Dante just exhibits too many stereotypical traits. Does the author have the responsibility to “butch up” the character of Dante so that he does not further the stereotype of the poetry-reading gay boy? That seems to be a ridiculous solution, also. Not only does the writer have freedom to write however he chooses, Dante and Aristotle are believable, well-written characters. These facts, however, do not change my feelings that I would do more harm than good teaching this book.
I wish that this issue was all my own paranoia. I would love nothing more than to be wrong about all of this. I do admit that there are probably high-school classrooms in this world where this book could be discussed just the way it was meant to be. However, this is not the world I come from. The world I will be teaching in is a world in which “gay” is the preferred insult exchanged between young men. I will be teaching in a world where my students will much more likely be shooting birds than rescuing birds. This is a world in which boys who cry in front of other people, actually think their parents are cool, and enjoy reading are viewed with suspicion, regardless of their sexual orientation. I am afraid that a book like Aristotle and Dante would only fuel that fire and make sensitive boys feel the need to change their behaviors in order to avoid more ostracism than they might already be dealing with.
I do want to change the world. I want to help make high school a place where it is okay to be yourself, but I have to work with what I have. Just as Shakespeare is not appropriate in a class where the students have just learned how to read, Aristotle and Dante would not be appropriate in a class where students are still using the word “gay” to mean bad. They are just not ready. I do love this book, and I look forward to the day I can teach it. Right now, I feel much more comfortable teaching a book like Grasshopper Jungle. I think the characters are just as well written, but without many of the stereotypes I find troubling. I do want to talk about stereotypes with my students. I want them to know that sometimes they are true and sometimes they are not. I want them to know how hurtful their words and actions can be. I want to help them to realize that dismissing other people really just diminishes their own opportunities to grow. I guess what I have taken away from the discussion about Aristotle and Dante is that it does not matter what book I teach, hopefully, as long as I have the right questions, my students will learn.
Comments