Common Core: “The Dewey Decimal System”
“To Kill a Mockingbird” reveals the importance of perspective. This theme is clearly illustrated when Atticus tells Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Given that this novel is narrated by a young girl, we see an innocent perspective on the world that intertwines curiosity, fear, and all of the other emotions that are inherent to children. An interesting perspective that caught my attention was her view on education. Miss Caroline serves as a prime example of the implementation of new methods of teaching the English language that manifested themselves during the Progressive Era. Scout was an avid reader, but because she had not been taught "correctly", it was Miss Caroline’s duty to “undo the damage” This naturally inquisitive young girl was shocked; it seemed as though the education system was hindering her intellectual development. Her brother called this new way of teaching “the Dewey Decimal System,” which slowly crept its way into every classroom. Although she had no basis of comparison because she had not been taught by the previous method, the new system affected her greatly. As I began to read about her experience, I drew a connection between “the Dewey Decimal System” and Common Core. Both of these movements are prime examples of education reform that affect the so-called guinea-pigs. During the transitional stages, those caught in the middle see a change in their education that seems to have no benefit. But this seemingly unbeneficial transition has the potential to benefit future generations, which connects to the idea of perspective. Although many of us who are caught in the middle, such as Scout and I, are greatly impacted, the reforms can bring positive progress in education. Often times as children, we are blinded by our limited perspective and don’t consider things from others' points of view. This limited perspective may prove to unfold in later chapters.
Omar, all of Scout's emotions are strong, which is true for most children. What do you think about how people tend to become set in their ways, subscribing to a rigid set of beliefs as they get older? Based on how Harper Lee is characterizing Scout, would you expect her to remain open or do you think she would become like most of the adults in Maycomb? What do you think the educational system in this novel represents? I like your idea about following the limited perspective thread through the novel.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading about the Dewey Decimal System I also made the connection to Common Core. What I thought of while reading your post was maybe the comment that the teacher made about restricting Scout from reading is based on gender. I wonder if later on in the book it unfolds that this comment and others of this nature might restrict her from pursuing further education.
ReplyDeleteTo Harneet, while I think the possibility of gender being the reason for the, what seems like, disapproval of Scout's reading is interesting perspective, I feel that it wouldn't be as likely given that Mrs. Caroline is also a girl. Generally people don't tend to put those similar to themselves down;however, Mrs. Caroline could be very conservative support the women's sphere as it is in this time period.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Schulz,
ReplyDeleteI think that as adults we become more rigid in our beliefs because we have been exposed to so many perspectives, and our convictions for our own are firmly solidified. Although Scout will age, I do not believe she will become like the rest of the adults in Maycomb. This notion stems from my belief that eventhough future generations poses similar charactersitics as previous generations, they are always changing. Scout's rebellious and often questioning nature may prove to be a powerful force in driving the development of a perspective that differs from those of Maycomb. However, I do believe that whatever views she develops she will be a firm believer and less open-minded than she was in her youth. In regards to the educational system, I believe it may represent the idea that knowledge can be presented in a bias manner.