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  • From: mitchdl AT email.unc.edu
  • To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [percy-l] The Moviegoer
  • Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 10:42:57 -0400

I just finished teaching The Moviegoer at the end of a Southern Lit class and was surprised at how well the students responded. Granted, this was an upper-level course composed of English majors (and one sociology major!), so it's a different bag from an intro course.

I think there's less of a problem with TMG seeming dated now than there would have been in the eighties/nineties, for the simple reason that the references are absolutely meaningless to students now (William Holden??). They take them purely as fictional names and judge the meaning by the context, instead of partially recognizing and depositing them in the 'fogey' bin.

The predicament, of course, is unchanged and worse now than ever.

Most surprising, though, was the response to Kate. If any character might be said to be a bit overdrawn, it's Kate, but the students (all female) immediately recognized a familiar type. This, I would say, is one path into TMG with these students. It helps that mine tend to be notably less ideologically driven readers, so they don't get distracted with the "She's dependent on a man!" business. They understand more about desperate times and desperate measures.

Since this is an intro class, however, TMG will leave many students flat. So my recommendation would be to divide the class as the world is divided: those who love Percy (TWLP) and those who hate Percy (TWHP), or sheep and goats. Take the class outside and let the TWHPers loll about on the grass with their Ipods while the TWLPs palpitate their frontal lobes and gaze ironically at the former group.

All the best,

Doug




Quoting "Beck, David A" <dabeck AT iupui.edu>:

Friends,
A few weeks (months?) ago, someone posted a message about the success
of teaching The Moviegoer to a high school class. (I'm thinking it was
Rhonda.) But the email encouraged me to try it once again, in my Intro
to Lit class this summer. Most of the class will be bright-faced, eager
to learn, college freshman--well, college freshman anyway.
The Moviegoer is one of my favorites, but it's also one that I've never
taught successfully. Most thought it was too weird (I interpreted that
as being too dated--replace Tony Curtis with Tom Cruise, etc.) But if
high schoolers got it, then maybe it is the way I've been teaching it.
Lancelot has always gone over well in my 200-level lit classes. And
Love in the Ruins also works pretty well, though it's a little too
long. But TMG is such a great book that I thought I needed to give it
one more try. I'm re-reading it now and am really enjoying it again.
So my question is (to the list and to Rhonda, if she is the one who
posted the email): What is a good way of presenting this novel that is
dated (in its references) but is as timely now (if not more so) than
ever to college freshman?
Any help will be much appreciated. The class doesn't begin until 6/26.
Thanks.
-David


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