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Juliebug/Teachers

Are you familiar with the novel "Perfume?"  Melodie has to read it for school and according to her, the main character kills virgins and makes perfume out of them and at the end is eaten by cannibals.

I am not sure how I feel about this.  Am I out of line if I ask the teacher if she can read something else?

Re: Juliebug/Teachers

  • I'm not a teacher, but I just looked this up on Wikipedia.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume_(novel)

    I am a mother though, and that's way disturbing.  I don't think that I'd let my child read that!

  • imagestephiehall:

    Are you familiar with the novel "Perfume?"  Melodie has to read it for school and according to her, the main character kills virgins and makes perfume out of them and at the end is eaten by cannibals.

    I am not sure how I feel about this.  Am I out of line if I ask the teacher if she can read something else?

     

    I'm not a teacher and have never heard of it but it sounds rather disturbing.

     

    ETA: Brianna- you're a THOUGHT STEALER!

  • And PLEASE read this part...

    "Grenouille is apprehended soon after completing his perfume and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution the intoxicating scent of Laure combined with the backdrop essences of the 12 virgins he murdered, overwhelms all present, and instead of an execution the whole town is overwhelmed by a mix of divine reverence and carnal passion, erupting into a massive orgy."

  • imagebsn1752:

    And PLEASE read this part...

    "Grenouille is apprehended soon after completing his perfume and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution the intoxicating scent of Laure combined with the backdrop essences of the 12 virgins he murdered, overwhelms all present, and instead of an execution the whole town is overwhelmed by a mix of divine reverence and carnal passion, erupting into a massive orgy."

    Aaaaaand, I'm emailing her teacher.

  • imagebrookopher:
    imagestephiehall:

    Are you familiar with the novel "Perfume?"  Melodie has to read it for school and according to her, the main character kills virgins and makes perfume out of them and at the end is eaten by cannibals.

    I am not sure how I feel about this.  Am I out of line if I ask the teacher if she can read something else?

     

    I'm not a teacher and have never heard of it but it sounds rather disturbing.

     

    ETA: Brianna- you're a THOUGHT STEALER!

     

    I'm a fun stealer too!  Watch yourself!

  • Not a mom or teacher, just a book-nerd and I really liked the book.

    I also read it in college though and it was creepy and adult. That being said as a mom I think yes, you do have the right to say you'd rather she read something else.

     

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  • Not a teacher either but I would not like this.  It gives me the heebeegeebies just reading what has been posted so far.

  • Yeah, Stephie.  I would too.  Just reading the Wikipedia on it was oogy.  I couldn't imagine actually reading it at her age... or ever really.  That's a bit mature.
  • Here is what I emailed the teacher:

    Hello there, I am Melodie Hall?s mother who is a student in your English IV IB class.  Melodie was telling me last night she has started reading Perfume and some of her comments disturbed me.  Upon looking up the novel on Wikipedia, I am somewhat disturbed by the subject matter, the language used, and the sexual innuendo.  I don?t see the literary or educational value of such a novel and am wondering if it would be possible if she could read something else in its place.  Please let me know.  I?m agreeable to hearing your defense of the novel as well.  Thank you.

  • imagebsn1752:

    And PLEASE read this part...

    "Grenouille is apprehended soon after completing his perfume and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution the intoxicating scent of Laure combined with the backdrop essences of the 12 virgins he murdered, overwhelms all present, and instead of an execution the whole town is overwhelmed by a mix of divine reverence and carnal passion, erupting into a massive orgy."

    Holy cow!

    ETA: Stephie - your email sounds good and very "concerned" parent, but not too "confrontational".

  • In many instances, an alternative assignment may be requested. 

    Stephie,

    I'm not defending this teacher in any way, shape or form, but, since it's an IB class, that means that she'll be taking some sort of test for college credit.  It may be that the novel is going to be on the test.  I'm not 100% familiar with IB so I can't be sure. 

  • Wow... I think you did the right thing Stephie.  Let us know what happens!
  • imageTiffany618:
    Wow... I think you did the right thing Stephie.  Let us know what happens!

     I will.  I'm interested to see what she says.  Mel said something similar happened to a friend of hers who is in a regular English class--the friend refused to read it (it was a different book) and they let her read Pride and Prejudice instead.

  • If this teacher has assigned this novel before, I'm sure that this has come up.

    Hopefully she has a good plan of action.  EEK!  That was a great email to her though.

  • Wow. Yeah. I wouldn't be ok with that either.
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  • I am going to preface my question by saying that I am not a mother, so I definitely don't know what it's like, and I'm not judging your choice, I think you were very rational in your response.

    But, I'm curious, what do you think would happen if she read it? Would she be upset by it?  

  • I bet the teacher will say something about it being a college credit class, too.  But, I'm with Brianna - I'm not sure I would ever read that book.
  • imageBanannaP:

    I am going to preface my question by saying that I am not a mother, so I definitely don't know what it's like, and I'm not judging your choice, I think you were very rational in your response.  But, I'm curious, what do you think would happen if she read it? Would she be upset by it?  


    She was already disturbed which is what led me to look into it.  I'm sure nothing would happen--I just feel that for an honors English class, a more appropriate book would be one of the wonderful classic novels out there that DON'T involve murder, cannibalism, orgies and cusswords.  I would rather my daughter fill her mind with something else.

  • imagestephiehall:
    imageBanannaP:

    I am going to preface my question by saying that I am not a mother, so I definitely don't know what it's like, and I'm not judging your choice, I think you were very rational in your response.  But, I'm curious, what do you think would happen if she read it? Would she be upset by it?  


    She was already disturbed which is what led me to look into it.  I'm sure nothing would happen--I just feel that for an honors English class, a more appropriate book would be one of the wonderful classic novels out there that DON'T involve murder, cannibalism, orgies and cusswords.  I would rather my daughter fill her mind with something else.

     

    I would agree with that.  She's certainly not a "baby" but that is VERY adult content for a teenager.  I think that you did the right thing.  :)

  • Honestly, that's very adult content for me.  I would probably get nightmares and I'm a totally mature adult.  I'm not into scary movies or books....and murder and cannibalism totally qualifies as scary IMO.
  • Obviously I don't know Melodie, but I think if it bothers her enough to mention it to you, then you should definitely say something to her teacher.  IMHO.
  • imageserlace:
    Obviously I don't know Melodie, but I think if it bothers her enough to mention it to you, then you should definitely say something to her teacher.  IMHO.

    I agree here.

    I read the PLL series over the summer and I was a little....I don't know, amazed that these books were targeted towards teens but yet there was some adult content there.  Every parent is different, I guess.  It's kind of like rated R movies.  My dad never minded us watching violent things (Godfather, etc), but he never wanted us to watch movies where there was lots of sex, mainly because he never wanted to have to explain it to us.  That was my mom's job.

  • Good call.. I think you did the right thing by emailing the teacher. Keep us informed.

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  • imagejuliebug1997:

    imageserlace:
    Obviously I don't know Melodie, but I think if it bothers her enough to mention it to you, then you should definitely say something to her teacher.  IMHO.

    I agree here.

    I read the PLL series over the summer and I was a little....I don't know, amazed that these books were targeted towards teens but yet there was some adult content there.  Every parent is different, I guess.  It's kind of like rated R movies.  My dad never minded us watching violent things (Godfather, etc), but he never wanted us to watch movies where there was lots of sex, mainly because he never wanted to have to explain it to us.  That was my mom's job.

    lol.

    Stephie, I can see your point. I know I read several novels with sexually explicit material at a very young age, and there's not much in books or on TV that really bothers me (except I don't care too much for graphic violence). But I'm sure I'll feel differently once I have a child to protect. I have to admit, though, this post made me curious about this book, I kind of want to read it now.

  • imageBanannaP:
    imagejuliebug1997:

    imageserlace:
    Obviously I don't know Melodie, but I think if it bothers her enough to mention it to you, then you should definitely say something to her teacher.  IMHO.

    I agree here.

    I read the PLL series over the summer and I was a little....I don't know, amazed that these books were targeted towards teens but yet there was some adult content there.  Every parent is different, I guess.  It's kind of like rated R movies.  My dad never minded us watching violent things (Godfather, etc), but he never wanted us to watch movies where there was lots of sex, mainly because he never wanted to have to explain it to us.  That was my mom's job.

    lol.

    Stephie, I can see your point. I know I read several novels with sexually explicit material at a very young age, and there's not much in books or on TV that really bothers me (except I don't care too much for graphic violence). But I'm sure I'll feel differently once I have a child to protect. I have to admit, though, this post made me curious about this book, I kind of want to read it now.

    Me too....

  • Yeah, I guess my main thing is, school is to teach--what is this teaching?  I mean, if Mel wants to read this on her own time, fine, but as a parent, I have a problem with the school actually mandating that my child read this.
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