To not let DD watch these programmes for school work.

[Whatswiththesmalltalk]

Dd is 13 and is studying dystopian literature in English so I understand the connection but her teacher has asked the class to watch the handmaids tale, children of men and V for vendetta. I have only watched the handmaids tale myself but having looked online I really don't think they're all that appropriate for a 13 year old at all. AIBU would you let your 13 year old watch these?

I don't think The Handmads Tale is appropriate for 13 year olds. It's on the A'level English Literature syllabus, where it's just about ok for 16-18 year olds.

I even think the subjects they expect A-level students to write about in detail is challenging. My dd's recent assignment was to write a detailed essay comparing how sex and sexuality is represented in two different texts: The Colour Purple with A Street Car named desire. For teenagers who have virtually no sexual experience yet of their own it's a big ask!

Absolutely no way I’d let my 13 year old watch the tv series of a handmaid’s tale. I couldn’t watch it, and I have read and enjoyed the book several times. I just don’t think it’s appropriate for a 13 year old, even to precipitate a conversation, she knows what rape is and can talk about it without having to watch it.

however I am quite strict about what she’s watching and she is generally on board (eg we tried watching stranger things together but she found it quite scary so we stopped) I find it insane how many kids her age have watched things like squid game and honestly I think we’ve reached a point where we’re desensitising our children to violent and graphic content and it’s not great for their mental health or their empathy skills.

Handmaids tale is really heavy going. I find it a hard watch at 33 never mind 13. I could see them setting it for GCSE or Alevel students but not 13. Is that year 8 or 9?

also what if you don’t have the streaming services these are on? I know handmaidens is on 4OD (or whatever it’s called now) but not sure on the others

The Handmaids Tale is officially rated as a 15 certificate in the UK

I think it's pretty standard, DD2 (y8) has been doing some dystopian lit in school - but there are plenty of YA dystopian books for that age group: The Hunger Games, Mortal Engines, Divergent, The Knife of Never Letting Go.

No I'd not be recommending that 13 year olds watch that. 16/17 more likely. If the idea is to familiarise with dystopian genre then there are more suitable films/series surely!!!! Personally I'd tell them to listen to the audiobook of handmaid's tale/the testaments, or other dystopian fiction. Obviously film and series don't always stick to the book.

My DD is the same age and has watched all 3 (she loves dystopian stuff). Wouldn't cross my mind tbh.

I'm surprised Handmaid's Tale is only a 15, I found it very hard to watch at times.
Most 13 year olds would be fine with the two films mentioned but I don't know about Handmaid's.

Agree with this.

Contact the teacher and point out the age recommendations of the films/ programmes. No, I wouldn’t have let DDs watch the Handmaids Tale at 13, not seen the others you mentioned.

Suicide is the biggest killer of teens, why would they be encouraging children to watch scenes of hanging etc? That’s awful. I’d be tempted to report the teacher.

No way are they appropriate - I’ve watched Handmaids tale and while I am addicted it is pretty uncomfortable watching rapes and extreme violence. I get that the concept is really interesting for teaching.

Children of men and V for vendetta - I've seen and from what I remember I don't think I'd have an issue with my 13 year old watching.

handmaids tale - which version? - current TV series I think wanders far from the book - haven't seen the film but I know it exists. I have given oldest the audio book and book haven't given them yet to younger teens - 15 and 13 yet.

DD2 has done dystopian fiction but wasn't sked to do this - though she did ask about gothic literature - and did watch Lady in white and got her some books in that genre.

I would double check with the teacher/school and mention age ranges as you do have concerns.

The TV series, no, I wouldn't. In fact I wouldn't get the choice because DS would walk out and refuse to watch.

No wonder we have so many depressed teens if that's what we load on to them.

If those are the only three films/series she told them to watch, then she shouldn't be teaching the subject. There are much better choices out there.

They are all 15 rated so I'm surprised 13 year olds are being asked to watch them. I wouldn't want my child watching them, though realise all children are different.

Can't see the point of watching the film version of The Handmaids Tale as it doesn't really stay very close to the book. The first season of the series covers the original book and is pretty close to it. Subsequent series are newly written material inspired by the original book.

I agree the series is not really suitable for a 13 year old. This is because the book itself is not really suitable for that age group. I read it at that age though - got it from the library and the librarian was quite reluctant to let me have it. Mentioned I had read it at that age to DD's English teacher and she was a bit shocked as she thought it was a bit young. Probably a bit of a misjudgement on the part of the OP's DD's teacher studying this book with this class.

I'm an English teacher and I think this is weird. As people have said, The Handmaid's Tale is a long established A Level text. It's about institutional rape. A 13 year old will not understand what aspects of modern society the dystopia is reflecting.

I can understand a teacher using well judged extracts of the novel, or well judged extracts from the film versions even, to talk about what dystopian fiction is, but there are so many better YA dystopian books to actually study...

YANBU
If it’s a dystopian literature class then why is the teacher telling them to watch adaptations loosely inspired by the literature?!

Your DD should be reading the original literature.

The Handmaids Tale show is an excuse to show violent torture porn. I was disgusted when I watched the first season and stopped there because what they show is not the Handmaids Tale that Atwood wrote. I’m shocked a teacher would even suggest students watch it as some sort of intro to dystopian literature. Unless the teacher hasn’t actually compared book ti show?

Children of Men isn’t bad, but again it doesn’t follow the book very closely.

V for Vendetta is a shit film. It has not aged well at all. There is so much wrong with it. V imprisons the heroine (pretending shes been arrested by secret police) and then literally tortures her for months..once he frees her all she says is ‘you shaved my hair’ and then promptly falls in love with this much much older man. There’s a subplot where lesbians are targeted and killed. The heroine is more of a weeping pathetic damsel in distress, not a strong female character at all. V is also a domestic terrorist in his plot to overthrow the government by filling tube trains with explosives to kill anyone who happens to be around. I’d be objecting to my 13yo watching that.

Im also a bit hmmmm at them only looking at dystopian literature that involves oppressing/torturing/killing women. There’s so much to choose from when it comes to dystopian literature.

Why not have 1 book be Handmaids Tale, 1 book be a climate disaster dystopia, and 1 book be a nuclear war fallout dystopia?

Year 8 or 9? I'd expect year 9 to be able to watch 15 rated films with guidance and for educational reasons.

After RTFT I do agree that 13 is a bit young for Handmaids Tale, but as a pp said there are lots of YA dystopian classics out there. War of the Worlds is a good sci fi alien invasion dystopia that is age appropriate. Animal Farm or 1984 as well would fit the bill. Do Androids dream of electric sheep looks at AI and what it means to be sentient. The Road - post apocalypse book.

What type of sketchy teacher / school who is supposedly educating on English literature is palming the kids off on tv programmes and films?

HMT is an A-level text. V for vendetta is a gothic novel. There's loads of their options they could actually read and discuss. Lazy teaching by the sounds of it.

Whether people think it's precious or not, schools should not be exceeding guidance for viewing so if they are 15s or 18s, definitely dodgy for the school to be asking 13yo to watch.

I read Children of the Dust at that age at school. OMG it was disturbing (post nuclear holocaust). I'm 50, have read lots and have never forgotten it. But no rape, torture etc and the most impressive character is a young girl.

The teacher needs to consider a wider range of literature!

I wouldn’t start by refusing. I would start by asking the teacher what consideration they have given to the impact the harsh treatment of women, in particular the rape and threats of rape, especially Every’s sexual assault by State actors given the widely reported actions of Wayne Couzens, might have on the kids in the class and how she intends discussing such scenes and supporting the kids in her class to ensure they aren’t harmed.

And similarly what consideration has been given to the more brutal violence, (I would highlight the killing of the kid in V for Vendetta and the hangings in the Handmaid’s Tale) will have on 13 year olds and how that will be discussed.

See what she says. It may be there are good ways to handle these more brutal aspects (I can’t think of them, though), or you may give her something to think about. But it’s more constructive than simply saying “No”.

V for Vendetta would probably be fine but as a pp said it is a bit of a shit film! Surely if you’re going to teach 13 year olds about dystopian literature the obvious film choice would have been Hunger Games?