In October 2021, Republican state Rep. Matt Krause sent a letter to school districts detailing a list of 850 books that he believed “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.”
If parents were given full view of public school curricula online, what might be their objections to those curricula? Much of the recent legislation about public school curricula declares that students should not feel “uncomfortable” about what they learn. That single complaint about curriculum is enough to make most teachers hand in their resignation in frustration.
“Discomfort” is a significant goal for learning in many disciplines, especially literature and American history. Teachers are not trying to avoid “discomfort,” when they teach Huckleberry Finn, but to incite it. Otherwise why would they allow students to read a novel where the N__ word is used in dozens of instances? Should not students feel discomfort when they read that? Is it necessary for the impact of the book? Hemingway says of the novel: All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn…. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since. And yet to read this book is to be uncomfortable.
Discomfort as a Goal
“Discomfort” is not a good reason to ban Huckleberry Finn, and those who have sought to ban it include as many liberal parents as conservative, equally concerned about their children’s discomfort with reading that offensive word. “Discomfort” is indeed the author’s goal for both liberal and conservative readers, who learn about the the racism of a border state in the 1800’s. Who learn how normalized racial attitudes affect how people are treated every day.
Another source of discomfort is the website “Facing History and Ourselves” which brings historical resources about genocide and prejudice to the attention of secondary school readers. Some censors of history have targeted “Facing History” as one that generates discomfort about the Holocaust and should be culled from the secondary curriculum. Why should we feel responsible for events in Germany from another decade? We need to remember, as Germany has learned, that ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ (George Santayana-1905). See Caste, (pp. 343-352) for an account of remembering and education about Nazi Germany.
“Discomfort” is an authentic response to history, indeed the response that makes us want to change the covert prejudice in our communities today. That’s the part of the curriculum that directs us to “Facing Ourselves.” The avoidance of discomfort is a reason that nothing changes in a community saturated with inequity. Discomfort should not be grounds for censorship, but for engaging and transformative teaching. Legislators seem to have missed this point.
Rep. Krause’s campaign in Texas threatens effective learning. His own education must have been truly dull and ineffective if it avoided “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any form of psychological distress.” I would be truly disturbed if my students felt none of these emotions after reading Othello, Death of a Salesman, or Raisin in the Sun. They arouse deep emotions because they are great plays. They make us want to change matters of economic and racial inequity.
Discomfort Quotient = Redeeming Value / Discomfort.
Ultimately teachers have to decide how much discomfort is enough for a given age of students, and parents should decide if it is too much for their own particular student. What is the discomfort quotient for Johnny Got His Gun or for The Bluest Eye, both of which have shocking scenes? Is the discomfort above what your child can tolerate? Parents should consider some of these questions before deciding .
- What exact scene or chapter is most disturbing?
- Why do you think it is emotionally destructive to your child?
- Does the book have any redeeming value for your child?
- Redeeming Value divided by Discomfort equals Discomfort Quotient. (An estimate)
- Should your child be removed from the book, or should the book be removed from the curriculum?
- What alternative readings exist that would satisfy the same curricular goals?
If this sounds like a lot of work, yes it is indeed hard to create a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Banning books is easy and destructive. Evaluating books and choosing them for the right age group is the hard work that teachers and curriculum coordinators do all the time. That is what should be expected of parents who want to second-guess their choices.
Reading may often be uncomfortable. “Discomfort” is a poor reason for banning a book, but a good reason for re-evaluating the fit for a particular student. Make a “discomfort quotient” calculation before dismissing the value of books and online curricula. Show a constructive interest in what students are reading, instead of taking the discomfort shredder to the curriculum. Show your student how a mature reader deals with discomfort.