Monday, 15 September 2014

Bonus quote of the day:

“If only 1984 and Animal Farm
were required reading by Year 8.”

- Michelle Ray, TWITTER

2 comments:

paul scott said...

I first read animal farm when I was 15. I am not sure I quite saw through it. The book before that was Barry Crump. But after a decade reading the rest of Orwell I certainly did see it Orwell was a genius But is likely that young people can pick up on his concept now

Dolf said...

Actually, in Apartheid South Africa (up to '94), Animal farm was required reading for 14 year olds, in order to indoctrinate teens against the dangers of the "Soviet backed ANC". (The Red Terror, would be the closest translation)

Any book can be used to indoctrinate (even Orwell at his finest, ironically)

How about we create an environment where we stimulate inquiry and teach kids to properly integrate information. That way when they read Orwell out of their own free will, they can understand it within a proper context, rather than simply making it "Required reading" (read Government enforced) for philosophically muddled teens.