The brainlessness of an English Tutor. Fuming

[crazymomma93]

Long time lurker, please bear with me.
My DD12 has been having some issues with her reading book. It has been making her feel uncomfortable, from the Genre and style of writing. So I have looked into it, got a jist of the book, she has pointed out some bits that made her uneasy and I looked up the age rating which was 14+. Now typically if you knew me, you would know I am not "that Mom" but I emailed her Form Tutor to ask if there was an alternative. Tutor emailed back after talking to English dept and DD dosn't need to read the book any longer, she can bring in her own. No problem. My DD has just told me she spoke with her own English Tutor, the day before I sent the email to tell her Form Tutor. After listening to DD, English Tutor responds "it's just words"
ITS JUST WORDS? Sorry is that not pretty much the Tutors whole career, teaching English?
I need calming because I am close to emailing said teacher calling her a c**t, because, you know "it's just words". See how her feelings are when she reads something that makes her uncomfortable.
My DD turned to her to ask because the book was making her uneasy and that is the response. What about children who get verbally bullied? Where is this Womans morals. AIBU?

A type of public history, yes.

Not saying it’s academic history, but it is a genre of historical writing.

Would that genre be historical fiction?

Desciption of the word fiction rom the OED:
literature in the form of prose that describes imaginary events and people.

Just to add, on the subject of historical fiction, most people get their ‘knowledge’ of history from public history. And indeed there are many examples of inaccuracies, romanticisation and misrepresentation in historical fiction. And a lot of it doesn’t matter — regency romances are just romances in fancy dress, for example. But I’d argue that it really does matter how children are taught about the holocaust, which is why a book aimed at children should not be a friendship fable in concentration camp fancy dress.

Again, be sensible. If you were to read the majority of fictional history of many important events they are littered with complete fiction. Read anything aimed at the American market, and if it were to be believed they won the war single handed.

Or read what were probably the best known of WW2 fictional books when I was growing up, written by Sven Hassel. Tales of daring do by German soldiers, written while Hassel was a prisoner during that time.

Incidentally I feel the pain with stupid people confusing fact and fiction. I'm Scottish and some of my countrymen are thick enough to believe Braveheart was a documentary. But hey can't fix stupid.😂

The Holocaust Memorial Trust advises against using it in the classroom.
In some schools (in America mainly I think) it’s done via the History department.
The writer did absolutely no research in support of the writing
Interviews with children who have read the book make clear that it does have an impact on their knowledge about the Holocaust.
For age appropriate, well researched, well written books about this awful aspect of history check out the work of Tom Palmer. He also does free talks to schools on his work for Holocaust Memorial Day.

There are some right cunts on this thread.

My bad, I wasn't aware

What are you asking me to be sensible about? I KNOW this.

One of my reservations about TBITSP is that it contains inaccuracies (that matter).

A previous poster said, but it’s fiction.

I said, but it’s ‘historical fiction’ and as people read historical fiction, they tend to absorb the presentations of historical things in it and absorb them into what they unconsciously consider their historical knowledge.

Mostly it doesn’t matter. So what if gladiators rarely fought to the death and the thumbs down gesture just wasn’t a thing in Ancient Rome? But sometimes it does matter, and I would argue that in a book about the Holocaust, initially written for children, it does.

And I don’t know any history teacher who would use that book as a teaching aid. But it is recommended by well-meaning English teachers and librarians — which is how this whole sub-thread started.

I agree with her actually. It is "just words". It's the meaning people attach to them which causes conflict and discussion. Language in itself isn't innately bad. Consider all the books that have been banned - it's largely for political reasons, rather than anything else. I'll be honest - I've not read much Harry Potter - but doesn't Dumbledore express this when he says there's no harm in saying Voldemort's name, it won't worsen the situation?
I would let her read them.
I wouldn't be a teacher.

Where do I start?

1. OK the child of a high ranking Nazi would be well aware of who Hitler was, that Jews were (according to his teachers and school work) no better than vermin.

2. No child would be at Auschwitz for more than a 1/2 day, maybe a day before they would be killed.

3. Children who did live in other camps were either working or undergoing medical experiments, they were not wandering around left to their own devices.

4. No one could just dig under an electric fence to get to the other side. They would have to contend with the electric shock, barbed wire, dogs and snipers.

5. the Nazis did not just round people up and gas them, they were meticulous about who they killed and when.

When Israel was finding its feet someone was given a list of names and numbers. They did not know it's relevance. A newly arrived immigrant police officer looked down the list, found his own name and matched the number on the list tot he tattoo on his arm.

6. The Jewish characters are just one dimensional passive observers of their own fate.

But books aren't only words, they're concepts and often very strong imagery. If it doesn't matter why not teach A Clockwork Orange in Year 6, it is an interesting take on language after all?

Are you joking?

OK the child of a high ranking Nazi would be well aware of who Hitler was, that Jews were (according to his teachers and school work) no better than vermin. how would that character’s lack of knowledge impact a teen’s understanding of the horror of the holocaust. Children of nazis shouldn’t be tarred with the same brush as nazis

The holocaust could not have happened without the demonization of particular groups of people. That is the foundation of many atrocities, you start be demonising a group, make them responsible for everything bad.

Did you deliberately ignore the parentheses?

I see your reading comprehension is poor.

That's an interesting perspective and there's clearly merit to it. Clearly, language and words are wonderful - they can create worlds, provoke fear, laughter and joy. But ultimately- stood alone - they're neutral. Why is one word a swear word and not another? It's the human perception of them which induces these feelings. I'm just wondering, from a different perspective, if this is what the teacher meant regarding her comment. It really just shows how fascinating language is!