But seriously folks, a bit of opinion page on "the Potter." I have had to grade aptitude tests in English writing last winter, and NONE of the high school students who chose Harry Potter books got a "talented tenth" score. Why? Because there is no depth in the books, and the purported depth (the most recent movie and its take on fascism) is so mind numbingly simplistic as to be relatively useless as a parable.
It's nice kids are reading, but it'd be great if they could point to all 50 states or Iraq correctly on a map, take a graph and interpret data stated on it for themselves, or realize a "research paper" shouldn't rely solely on the internet.
Let me see if I understand you. You grade high school English aptitude tests? Is that your profession?
So these kids who chose Harry Potter didn't get a good grade. And the aptitude tests tested their aptitude in Potterology? Were there other aptitude tests where kids could choose books such as Catcher In The Rye? Sorry the whole post is confusing to me.
Were the kids allowed to pick which books they would be aptitude tested on. Kind of a trap since you were already going to give a failing grade to anyone who picked Harry Potter, not because of problems with the kids test answers, but because "there is no depth in the books". (I like how you prove your point by referencing a movie.)
Perhaps instead of grading aptitude tests you should spend your time teaching geography and statistics since clearly that is your passion.
I grade aptitude tests in all subjects, including science, reading, writing, and math. What I am saying is when they choose Harry Potter to write about (they can choose any book under the sun), the depth of Harry Potter's themes, plot, characters, rising action, denouement, etc. make it so that for whatever reason they frequently get a mediocre score. In reflecting on what I said, I think I was just being a dick about the book, but the students "boxing themselves in" by writing about Harry Potter holds true. It is what it is. I don't know why. Kids need to be taught the fundamentals and to think for themselves. If reading Harry Potter does that, great. From what I've seen, it is literary spoon feeding and provides no room for interpretation. What you see on the page is what is there. I don't know what else to say.
Sounds about right. I think you could find lots of symbolism, and depth in Harry Potter, but why bother? You would be reading too much into and taking the fun out. That's what Shakespear is for.
imagine if fools were lined up like this to read the newspaper.
Yes.
I haven't started the new one yet. But all the middle schoolers I know spent their weekends buried in this last one. Seems to be very intense and emotional.
I just read them once and have the last book forgotten by the time I start the next. The people I know who have read them all more than once and back to back say they are phenomenally well plotted. Everything interlocking and building from the very first page. Each detail will eventually become important. I'm not talking middle schoolers here, I'm talking about adults who read, know, and understand literature. People do fall in love with the characters, like a soap opera.
Everything interlocking and building from the very first page. Each detail will eventually become important.
This is very true. They need to create a separate footnotes book to help keep track of it all. I always picture J.K. Rowling looking like Prez from The Wire, staring at a huge corkboard covered in pictures and names connecting everybody.
billbradleyYou want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,890 Posts
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Sounds about right. I think you could find lots of symbolism, and depth in Harry Potter, but why bother? You would be reading too much into and taking the fun out. That's what Shakespear is for.
Yes.
I haven't started the new one yet. But all the middle schoolers I know spent their weekends buried in this last one. Seems to be very intense and emotional.
I just read them once and have the last book forgotten by the time I start the next. The people I know who have read them all more than once and back to back say they are phenomenally well plotted. Everything interlocking and building from the very first page. Each detail will eventually become important. I'm not talking middle schoolers here, I'm talking about adults who read, know, and understand literature. People do fall in love with the characters, like a soap opera.
This is very true. They need to create a separate footnotes book to help keep track of it all. I always picture J.K. Rowling looking like Prez from The Wire, staring at a huge corkboard covered in pictures and names connecting everybody.