Embedded Files
Why do some people get to be careless while others do not?
Why do some people get to be careless while others do not?
In this unit, we are building on our understanding of feminism and empathy. In particular, we examine what happens when a person refuses to be curious about the experience of the other. The resulting carelessness (a lack of care, a refusal to take care, or deliberate neglect) has disastrous consequences on both a personal and political level. Much of the material in this unit deals with sexual assault, coercion, and manipulation in both fiction and reality. Many people share Humbert Humbert's moral blindness and capacity for self-deception. In fact it is this very slippery capacity of the powerful to use stories to excuse their abuse of the powerless that is at the heart of our study in this unit. By exploring abuses of power from the personal and familial to the national level, students reach a deeper understanding of the importance of curiosity, empathy, and listening to one another.
Anchor Text
Anchor Text
Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003) by Azar Nafisi
How do the stories we hear become a part of us?
Two-page summary of Rudine Sims Bishop, "Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors"
Seven-page article on Sims Bishop's work on Children's Literature
Supplementary Texts
Supplementary Texts
Lolita, excerpts with Guiding Questions
The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
Media
Media
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