The very first question in The Awakening socratic seminar is "Discuss the influence of one's gender upon reading this novel." This question pretty much sums up all the discussions we have been having in class (and out of it). This book divided the males and females in our class like no other book has before, simply because the females of the class can relate more to Edna, while the males of the class can relate more to Leonce. These mindsets do not just apply to our class, but to every person who has read the book. Granted, there will always be exceptions, but usually gender influences your perspective of this book. For this reason, it is very difficult to discuss the book in mixed company. Girls will usually feel that Edna was simply trying to find her independence and trying to break away from an overbearing male society. Boys will usually feel that Edna was being stupid, and was overreacting when she really didn't have that many things tying her down; she didn't really have that many duties to fullfill. As a girl myself, I must point out that this is the opinions of boys that I have observed, and ask the males in our class not to attack me if I have overlooked an opinion. Girls will usually feel (even subconsciously) that their sex is being attacked, and boys will usually feel that the girls are being ridiculous for defending Edna. No matter how we try, these mindsets cannot be changed, and therefore the book should only be discussed among separate groups of males and females.
Generally, I think it would be better to mix the males and females in a discussion and hear both perspectives. But with this book, it is almost impossible to discuss any other subjects the book presents, because neither the males nor the females can stop defending their sex; we are both naturally programmed to do so. However, there are many other questions raised by Chopin's book that should be discussed. So for sanity and safety's sake, any discussion of this book in any part of the world should remain in all male or all female groups.
This opinion applies to no other book. A Doll's House is very interesting to talk to in mixed company, and can broaden the ideas of both males and females. Like Water for Chocolate is another book that should be discussed between males and females, in order to fully understand all viewpoints on the subjects presented in the book. But The Awakening is too gender-geared, and discussing in mixed company wastes time.
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The point of having discussions is for us to diagree with each other and talk about different opinions. If we segragated our socratic seminars all the girls would just agree with each other, and all the guys would just agree with each other.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your views on the works we read. Very perceptive as usual.
It would be very sad although, if the male students did not get the opportunity to hear the female perspective, and if the female students did not get to hear the perspective of the male students. Little learning and mind-broadening would occur!
I can tell you from experience, that some of the views expressed about Edna and women in general by some of the students in class are very rare. I studied these books in high school and college and have never heard some of the statements that are made in class- the male students in my college courses made the same arguments that the female students did. I also have teacher friends who teach the same texts in other districts (west chester and downingtown) who don't face the same obstacles that I have in teaching these texts. When I tell them some of the statements that are made, they are, frankly, shocked.
There is something, and for the life of me I can't figure out what it is, that makes intelligent students in Oxford go crazy when it comes to discussions of race and gender. Maybe you could illuminate me!
Regardless, I do think that many of the male and female students are learning from each other during these rather heated discussions!
Well, other schools dont have Paul, i can tell you that. Think about our class Demers, we have all aspects of the spectrum covered. It is not race and gender specifically, it is just that we love to argue because each of us in that class has a different view point. Other schools seem to just turn into factions. We all do stay our own individual agruements. West Chester and Downington are full of stuck up assholes anyway, so who cares about them. I think it also has to do with that in Oxford, we are very sheltered from the outside world and therefore, everything is in ideals for us.
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