Reading offensive racist term out loud in class because a character uses it in the book - Of Mice and Men

[jewel1968]

Particularly interested in views from English teachers. In my child's school it seems some teachers won't say the word aloud nor will they allow other pupils to say it. Other teachers do say it aloud and this results in the pupils using it as a term of abuse outside the classroom - almost as if saying it aloud in class gives licence to them.

You can probably guess the racist term I am referring to.

According to my colleagues the kids generally opt not to say it when reading aloud. I've not taught it for a few years but may shy away from it now. I used to read the word, and use it to discuss racism and how it's an unacceptable term to use.

If secondary age pupils are so easily swayed to use a racist word as abuse because they heard it once in literature class, then I'd suggest that it isn't the book, the word or the class that is the problem.

@Moondust001 I know what you mean but apparently it seems to trigger the use outside the classroom.

@waitforitwaitforit as far as I know some of the pupils have expressed their extreme discomfort at the word being read out loud but this has not swayed anybody.

Ds did the book last year, teacher said the word, some friends said the word in class but within context, and some didn't. he is not aware of any issues outside the classroom.

I think they should say it in class, and discuss why it is so unacceptable, and explicitly say that of course not to use outside of classroom contextual discussion.

@TeenPlusTwenties do you think it should be said out loud on class if pupils explicitly say they find it offensive and don't want it said out loud?

I've taught it many times, and always said it aloud. I think it's important to do so, to show just how commonplace an insult it was, and to acknowledge how shocking it now is to hear it.

Never heard it mentioned by any child outside of the classroom.

If they are reading the book out loud then yes. And acknowledge it is (and in the context of the book was also meant to be wasn't it?) offensive.

I think teacher should read those passages aloud. Not pupils

I think teacher should explain before hand how wrong this is and why we are still reading it aloud - to expose racism for the evil it is.

I think it is really important to critique in advance as otherwise the unchallenged repetition can legitimise it. I would feel incredibly uncomfortable to hear a passage using ‘Yid’ etc read out - I’m Jewish

I think certain types of music just might be more influential in the use of that word than Of Mice and Men.

I think it's a good basis for class discussion though. History cannot simply be erased or overlooked - that is extremely dangerous. Should the holocaust be omitted from history in case it offends?

No but equally I wouldn’t want my (Jewish heritage) child to be expected to read out an anti Semitic passage

I think teacher should read those passages aloud. Not pupils

Actually yes, I agree with this. It should come from the teacher, not the pupils.

We talk about it, but don't say the word.

I've just read earlier today that Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird have been removed from Junior Cert syllabus (Ireland) for the word you say. Not sure that the 15 year olds couldn't understand the context. But........... that's what they have decided.

No but equally I wouldn’t want my (Jewish heritage) child to be expected to read out an anti Semitic passage

Absolutely fair enough. On reflection, having seen your post, I agreed that it should be a teacher that reads it.

We can't just shy away from uncomfortable topics, but they need to be dealt with sensitively.

I always read that bit myself. And we discuss why Steinbeck chose to include it, and what we can learn about the society of the time from its inclusion. And how it is being reclaimed not as a pejorative term but as an affirmation by some groups in the black community.
Refusing to say it will not change the fact that it's there, just as saying it will not make students use it elsewhere. If some students are unable to understand that context is important, then they need to be dealt with firmly. Racist incidents must be reported.

I've just read earlier today that Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird have been removed from Junior Cert syllabus (Ireland) for the word you say. Not sure that the 15 year olds couldn't understand the context. But........... that's what they have decided.

Disappointing. I remember doing To Kill a Mocking Bird at 14 - everyone loved it and found the injustice completely shocking and tragic. Fiction is a great way of humanising real issues.

I can also agree with teacher reading out those passages.

Dropping books that use sensitive words also means you are dropping books that cover important sensitive topics. That won't help anyone.

@WiserOlder

I've just read earlier today that Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird have been removed from Junior Cert syllabus (Ireland) for the word you say. Not sure that the 15 year olds couldn't understand the context. But........... that's what they have decided.

Oh I really loved To Kill a Mockingbird.

@WiserOlder no not banned but up for discussion due to top parental complaints.
I'm an English teacher and if reading aloud always read the words. Of course. They are a significant aspect of the social and historical aspects of the novel and are studied within that framework. Alongside lessons on this context.Ive never had a complaint or any issue with this in 20 years.

We watch Roots in History where the word is used a lot by slave owners. It leads to a lot of explanation and discussion about why the word is so offensive. Muhammad Ali’s speech about Vietnam is another example but used in a different context.

I'm glad it's only that it's up for discussion. Thank you for correcting me!

And obviously it is a character using the word. Likewise plenty of mysogonistic language too. Again discussed within the context. Otherwise we'd have little left to teach . Including Toni Morrison.

This is interesting. I work with troubled teens, we hear lots of appalling language but never that, except when the black boys use it among themselves.

I'm really surprised it "triggers" use of it in GCSE age students in mainstream schools.

I'll have to ask our English dept what they do.

My DD is doing To Kill a Mockingbird for GCSE. The book is littered with the word so it’s just not practical for the teacher to read the entire text. We had extensive communication from School at the start of the course. They explained that they discussed it extensively with the students beforehand putting it in context. It is not glorified in the book even though Scout herself uses it; Atticus tell her off. School allow any child who feels uncomfortable reading it aloud to skip over it. They also said to us that they use the fact that it’s used not just by the nasty characters but by ‘good’ characters too leads on to important discussions about casual racism. Of course the word would not come under a casual racism label today, it would in the 1930s. They set a hw asking how they think Scout would feel if she knew she’d said something ugly, nasty and hurtful.

I think DD’s school deal with it extremely well and I know too that a lot of the non white parents at school are very glad to see it handled so well. A few of DD’s friends skipped the word but DD decided to try and say it. It came up twice for her and she managed the first time but said it made her feel queasy so skipped the second time.
I’d be very disappointed to see such a classic book and important teaching aid taken off the syllabus.