…if They Are Educational?
What was you first experience with a well written horror story? My guess is that some story by Edgar Allan Poe will come to mind for many of you, it does for me. I read “The Cask of Amontillado” when I was in the seventh grade and it began a life long appreciation for gothic and horror literature.
With the Halloween season upon us I decided to give the story another look, and I came away with a few observations. First, the exposition of the story discusses some of the finer points of revenge. Second, there is a whole lot of drinking going on in this story (hell, the title references booze). Finally, the protagonist plans and executes what he feels is a perfect murder. It’s a well written, compact story that incorporates many elements of classic gothic fiction, but I don’t remember the teacher discussing these points way back in junior high. I do have vague recollections of her covering the plot in broad strokes with more of a focus on the general gothic mood of the story.
I figure my teacher all those years ago was more interested in teaching Poe the author (the man’s tormented life plays a large role in his appeal to many people) than really focusing on the content and context of the story itself. I do remember the class reading it and enjoying it. But I can’t help but think that today, in a world where it seems so many people are easily offended, if teaching the horror classics of Poe would still be considered acceptable and/or educational?
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