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.

@SimpleComforts, yes, I’m astounded that it triggers wider use. It seemed to me as though DD had an almost visceral reaction to saying it. All the teens I know, even the more difficult ones would be the same.

Mockingbird is an incredibly powerful book. I've never taught it and not had students be affected by the issues it raises. When it came off the syllabus, it was a sad day.

@MrsHamlet, my DD is doing it for GCSE at the moment.

I read it out when I'm reading the story out, but refrain from saying it if I'm discussing the text and quoting on the grounds they can all read, we know what the 'n word' is.

I try to ensure I'm reading those bits but I always give students a choice to miss it out if they're reading.

I've never had any issues.

[quote NellyJames]@MrsHamlet, my DD is doing it for GCSE at the moment.[/quote]
Interesting - she must be doing an igcse. She's lucky!!

We play an audio book version with Gary Sinise reading it. Takes away discomfort from the student/teacher. Never triggered anyone that I ever taught in 20 years. We discuss the word in its context.

@MrsHamlet, yes, sorry, you’re correct. She’s doing iGCSE. School apparently had the choice between this, Of Mice and Men or two others.
I always forget she’s doing iGCSEs. I wonder why her school do those. I clearly missed that bit of communication.

Because they can and because they're not forced just to study dead white men... 😂. I used to mark igcse and gcse, and the igcse was much more interesting and challenging!!

@MrsHamlet

Because they can and because they're not forced just to study dead white men... 😂. I used to mark igcse and gcse, and the igcse was much more interesting and challenging!!

That's interesting. We do iGCSE. I'm not a teacher, so I don't know, but I'm told it's because it's more "accessible" for our PRU students.

This is going back a few years but there was more range of choice in texts and tasks so you could really push the most able well beyond gcse, but also challenge really weak kids to do really well. I loved it.

I always read it - kids were v uncomfortable saying it and many chose not to. I totally respected this and we used it to discuss representation and treatment of black Americans.

@MrsHamlet, thanks for your insight. That’s really interesting. She’s super bright and motivated and loving it despite leaning much more towards maths and science Alevels at this stage. She’s always done well in English but never enjoyed it before. I think she’s really lucked out with her teacher this year. It always amazes me what a difference a great teacher can make to a pupil’s enjoyment and therefore their attainment.

Same as @MrsHamlet. I read it aloud and we discuss the issue sensibly. I mention it before reading that there is some language used that is unacceptable today and would result in very real consequences if used.

And in PSE they’re learning about the Scotsborro Boys which has shocked even me but ties in very well with the context of the text.

I have broadly felt as many here do about the use of the word - it's part of the story, it allows for an honest discussion about racism and it was used widely so is historically accurate. But when my non-white DD tells me how uncomfortable she (and her friends) feels and how it gets used outside the classroom in an unpleasant way it makes me reflect - hence my post.

@NellyJames that seems the most thoughtful and thorough approach to the handling this situation.

My DD also reflects that all the books she has covered at school where this is a Black character racism is always a major part of the story. She wonders why. Are there no books where characters are Black but that it is incidental to the story?

Anyway thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

If you are only going to read one American novel in school, it should not be Of Mice and Men or To Kill a Mockingbird . Why not Steinbeck's Travels with Charley or A Great Gatsby?

Why should it not be either of those?
Gatsby is on the A level syllabus so I wouldn't expect many schools to teach it lower down.

Of Mice and Men is also very misogynist, and I don’t think it should be taught on that basis.

Rita if that's the case virtually any book should be taught. The mysoginy of THE CHARACTERS of the novel is an excellent starting point for issues still very prevalent. Slut shaming, seeing women as objects etc etc. It is taught within the context if hie women are viewed at that place and time. All of Shakesieare could be viewed as mysogbisitic as the worn in the tragedies are murdered or die from suicide etc.

You can't not teach things because the morals are not the morals of today. I'm not entirely okay with Romeo and Juliet being married at 13 but it's a product of its time. Any half decent teacher teaches it in its context because if you hide shameful things from the past, you're never going to get past them.

I would disagree strongly that it's a misogynistic novel. It's depicting a misogynistic society, but his ultimate depiction of Curley's wife is sympathetic.

@Honeybobbin - would you know if it is being used outside the classroom?
And, what might you do if you knew this was happening? My DD and friends have not raised it with teachers so am wondering if it would change anything if they did.

I don't read it aloud. Discussed with the chairs of Afro-Caribbean society who were in my form and also took English. They recommended this for a variety of reasons but also thought it was a great book to study.
Anyone using said word around school needs to be reported and dealt with.

Oh, and we discuss the issues surrounding a variety of words and how they're used before studying the text. We don't gain anything by sanitising and banning these texts but it's not a word I'm going to say in my class.