"It glorifies Satan in some way"
In the Denver Post, which I still read online, there was a commentary piece by Ed Quillen. In it he speaks about the latest school curriculum scandal. The scandal is erupting in Bennett Colorado, a town that is small, ugly, and ... well small. What is happening? Are they trying to kick Evolution out of the curriculum ? Are teachers sneaking prayers into the classes? Not really.
A few weeks ago the elementary music teacher, Tresa Waggoner, showed portions of a video designed to introduce children to opera. The 1859 opera was "Faust" by Charles Gounod, a French composer of church music.
First, let it be said that the Bennett school district is to be commended for having an elementary music program. So many schools these days have eliminated music and art programs.
I can't even think of a practical economic rationale for such cuts, since I know many people who make their livelihoods from music and art, while I've never known even one professional football player. You'd think that if schools were preparing children for careers, they'd keep the programs that offer the most career possibilities. If the idea is to produce educated citizens, music and art are certainly important parts of our culture.
He then goes on to explain the story of Faust; which I find embarrassing. I live in a country in which no one can be expected to know the plot of Faust. After all Faust stands with Troy and Arthur as one of the defining legends of our civilization. If we can't expect people to know about Faust, what can we expect them to know?
Any way back to article, Quillen is spot on when he says,
Faustian themes illuminate modern discussions of capital punishment and stem-cell research.
This seems to be beside the point for certain concerned parents of Bennett, one of whom said, "It glorifies Satan in some way."
That's because a major character in all Faust versions is Mephistopheles, the demon who represents Satan while transacting with Faust. Mephistopheles is a complex character, who comes running for Faust's soul at his first opportunity, but also implores, "Oh, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, Which strike a terror to my fainting soul."
This is hardly a glorification of Satan, who is, after all, a necessary character in such accounts. To put this another way, the Bible would be a very short book without Satan.
Other parents complained that their children had nightmares from the video about opera. I can still remember the childhood nightmares I had after watching "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time - some works, no matter how innocuous, can do that.
But how far are we supposed to go in the prevention of child
hood nightmares? Can we guarantee that children riding the bus to school won't pass some gruesome nightmare-generating auto accident? Or that nightmares will never be provoked by "Hansel and Gretel," "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Bird Hunting with Dick Cheney"?
The more one ponders this, the more it appears that those concerned parents ought to demand that the school present a full production of Marlowe's Faustus to the youngsters. Mephistopheles might get many of the best of Marlowe's mighty lines, but the play is a straightforward tale of a man who is damned for seeking knowledge.
And that seems to be the exact attitude of those parents - seeking knowledge is an evil which must be punished.
A few weeks ago the elementary music teacher, Tresa Waggoner, showed portions of a video designed to introduce children to opera. The 1859 opera was "Faust" by Charles Gounod, a French composer of church music.
First, let it be said that the Bennett school district is to be commended for having an elementary music program. So many schools these days have eliminated music and art programs.
I can't even think of a practical economic rationale for such cuts, since I know many people who make their livelihoods from music and art, while I've never known even one professional football player. You'd think that if schools were preparing children for careers, they'd keep the programs that offer the most career possibilities. If the idea is to produce educated citizens, music and art are certainly important parts of our culture.
He then goes on to explain the story of Faust; which I find embarrassing. I live in a country in which no one can be expected to know the plot of Faust. After all Faust stands with Troy and Arthur as one of the defining legends of our civilization. If we can't expect people to know about Faust, what can we expect them to know?
Any way back to article, Quillen is spot on when he says,
Faustian themes illuminate modern discussions of capital punishment and stem-cell research.
This seems to be beside the point for certain concerned parents of Bennett, one of whom said, "It glorifies Satan in some way."
That's because a major character in all Faust versions is Mephistopheles, the demon who represents Satan while transacting with Faust. Mephistopheles is a complex character, who comes running for Faust's soul at his first opportunity, but also implores, "Oh, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, Which strike a terror to my fainting soul."
This is hardly a glorification of Satan, who is, after all, a necessary character in such accounts. To put this another way, the Bible would be a very short book without Satan.
Other parents complained that their children had nightmares from the video about opera. I can still remember the childhood nightmares I had after watching "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time - some works, no matter how innocuous, can do that.
But how far are we supposed to go in the prevention of child
hood nightmares? Can we guarantee that children riding the bus to school won't pass some gruesome nightmare-generating auto accident? Or that nightmares will never be provoked by "Hansel and Gretel," "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Bird Hunting with Dick Cheney"?
The more one ponders this, the more it appears that those concerned parents ought to demand that the school present a full production of Marlowe's Faustus to the youngsters. Mephistopheles might get many of the best of Marlowe's mighty lines, but the play is a straightforward tale of a man who is damned for seeking knowledge.
And that seems to be the exact attitude of those parents - seeking knowledge is an evil which must be punished.
4 Comments:
Ohhh man. Faust (Goethe's version) is what I wrote my thesis on, of which I am still proud, and the tutors at the defense seemed to have pretty much the same attitude as the parents in this article. To which I say, well screw them if they can't take a joke.
Joke? Um you said your thesis, of which you are still proud, was a joke. The principle of charity suggests to me that you are drunk right now.
Dammit Dan, have you not heard that saying before? Of course it's not a joke. That's the whole point of the phrase. "Fuck them if they can't take a joke" means you're not apologizing for whatever it is, not even enough to use the word "apologize" about it.
Let me play the devil's advocat here (pardon the phrasing): Isn't it more appropriate to say that the downfall of Marlowe's Faust is a result of seeking power, not knowledge?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home