Ways Of Solving Prejudices And Biased Opinions About Homosexualists - Book Report/Review Example

Ways Of Solving Prejudices And Biased Opinions About Homosexualists Dear Parents, From this academic year the school is considering including the story of Annie Proulx called “Brokeback Mountain” in the curriculum of the 12th graders. This can of course be the issue of debate whether to include this story in the curriculum of these students. Many of you have been aware about the theme of this story. This story is based on the theme of homosexuality where the two protagonists of this story are gay. I agree that this subject is very sensitive and yet is not supposed to be discussed openly. There are prejudices and biased opinions about homosexual people in the minds of the people so it is obvious that some of you might oppose to include such a topic in the syllabus. You also might be thinking that such subject can groom the feelings of homosexuality among the students at their adolescent age. Yet there is a stereotypical attitude about the gay or homosexual people in the minds of normal that is heterosexual people. But I assure you that this story will definitely give a new dimension to the thinking process of the students. Let me discuss with you about the topic on which the story is based on. This will definitely help those parents who have the negative attitude about homosexuality and thus are opposing for including Brokeback Mountain,” in our curriculum. Homosexuality was previously regarded as an aberrant activity. Homosexuality according to the conservative attitude was supposed to be the activity done by the perverted people and this should not be encouraged at all. This was also supposed to be psychological problem and it was thus enlisted in the list of mental illness of the psychologists. Bishop John S. Spong, a retired American Bishop of Episcopal Church gave a new perspective to this subject. Spong is a liberal theologian. While telling the conservative attitude about the homosexuality Spong says, “The old definition asserts that homosexuality is a choice that evil, perverted or subhuman people make. It cannot, therefore, be tolerated. People whose depravity causes them to choose "this lifestyle" must be converted or removed lest they destroy the social order; if they are homosexual because of a mental illness, they must be cured or isolated lest they infect the health of all our citizens.” [1] In the article “Homosexual History,” Spong reveals that during the transitional period of Christianity which had just come out of the orbit of Jewism it was the idea that the holy life is celibate. Flesh was given a very mean position. In this era priests who were trying to hide their desire for homosexuality embraced priesthood. Officially homosexuality was regarded as ‘deviant behaviour,’ and ‘unnatural.’ But the view started getting changed due to the empirical research and the scientific studies suggested that it is not at all an aberrant behaviour but just a minority aspect of human mind. “Homosexuality was determined not to be something people choose, but something to which they awaken.”[2] Thus homosexuality is debated since long back and now it has been attained the legal protection as well as legal consent. In the story Brokeback Moutain Annie Proulx discussed the issue of homosexuality through the two protagonists, one is rodeo cowboy named Jack Twist and a ranch hand named Ennis Del Mar. This is actually a deep love story in which the protagonists are not at all concerned about their status of sexuality but they are only concerned about their intense love and deep intimacy. Here the writer wants to focus on the intensity of the love rather than the status of love, i.e. homosexuality, heterosexuality. Though their love is true it is constantly getting crushed by the heterosexual society. Through this story Annie Proulx indirectly wants to suggest that our society should be compassionate and sympathetic. The same opinion is propounded by Bishop Spong. This is no doubt the homosexuality based story but it reveals the complexity in human relationship. It is not just a story but it can be discussed on a very rational manner. Though it is very hot and sensitive subject and for this the writer could have faced criticism from all over the world, it has become the masterpiece of her literary work. It is because of the method of handling the subject. While handling such a sensitive topic, Annie Proulx is utmost balanced in her writing. She has never carried away anywhere while handling this subject. To realize the various dimensions of the human relationship, and to study the complexity in this relationship the students must learn the story thoroughly and from various perspectives. It the parents are concerned that after studying this story the idea or the passion of gay is likely to develop in their mind. This fear is obvious and logical of course. But it is also true that not a single masterpiece make the children think in a wrong manner. Otherwise it wouldn’t have had the eligibility to be the masterpiece. Instead of this if the children read the story and study it, their attitude and their opinions about the gay community will definitely become sensible and sympathetic. This story is the best example of psychological issue also. The students must know that it is not at all a pervert thing to maintain homosexuality and at least the next generation will accommodate the gays in them otherwise the gay community is boycotted by the heterosexual society. They were supposed to be perverted mind just because their community is small and being the part of minority community they have to suffer a lot. Their sufferings are beyond imagination. Throughout their entire life they constantly fight with their consciousness and the society thus their struggle is on two levels, i.e. inner level and outer level. It is necessary to understand them because after all they are also human beings and expected to be treated like a human beings. One important thing here I would like to focus on is that homosexuality has been practiced since ancient time. If we want to get the proof it can be found in Khajooraho caves in India which has a long history of thousands of year. In those caves many sculptures are based on sexuality and among them some sculptures are based on homosexuality. Two men are shown having oral sex. So here what I have to explain is that it is not the incident which takes place in modern world but it was there in ancient time also. Then it is essential to look at this matter in a serious manner and broaden our thinking process. It should also be taken into consideration that the story can not be said totally gay story It can best be called a bisexual story. Both the protagonists after separating from each other established in their family life. They maintained heterosexual relationships also and so it is not a pure gay story. More than a sex this is a story about the human psyche and about the emotional flow which later lead the protagonists maintaining the sexual relationship with each other. Otherwise if it was just a physical attraction then the protagonist might have forgotten each other after settling down in their family life. But it didn’t happen. On the other hand after a long time span also they are their in the memory of each other. Now the question is the grasping capacity of the children. I don’t think that the 12th grade students are immature to understand the story and the depth of relationship. Because they have already had the sex education in their schooling days so they are quite aware about the sexuality and the physical relationship. In the schooling they have been introduced with the sex education so they might be aware of the sexual relationship as well as the consequences of sexual relationship. In their school days they have also been taught the adverse effect of maintaining wrong sexual relationship. Of course these students have immense curiosity about all types of sexual knowledge including homosexuality. So if the parents are getting scared about the adverse effects likely to occur with their child they don’t have to worry about it. Even before telling anything they have a lot of exposure and know everything. They have internet access and they can obtain all types of information they want to acquire. Then if they are taught this story from psychological point of view then they definitely will try to understand it in a very rational way. While teaching them the focus no doubt will be given on the emotional aspect of the story. Among these children some will in future definitely opt psychology as their specialization or some will do research in this topic and this short story will be the base for these students. Now the question is that this is a very complex subject and do the children in such a tender age can grasp it in a proper manner. Here it is the skill of our teacher. Our teacher will definitely teach this story to the children by keeping him to the intellectual level of these children. I am sure it is quite possible. The teacher will follow such a method to teach this story that the proper message will definitely spread among the children. So the parents need not worry about the impact of teaching this subject to the children because after all the school has some moral responsibility and the school is committed to handle any sensitive subject in a very balanced way and will definitely teach the students the good side of human relationship. It will not misguide the students at all. Plus it is not the thing that the children are not aware about the homosexuality. They know everything then it is the duty of the teacher to impart them the knowledge in a proper manner. So I really urge to all of you parents to remove all the doubts from your mind and help us to impart all the knowledge to our students which they really deserve. Sources: 1. Bishop Spong “Homophobia – No Compromise Possible,” an essay published on December 15, 2004, website: http://www.johnshelbyspong.com/bishopspongon_homosexuality.aspx 2. John S Spong, “Homosexual History,” http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2003/08/Homosexual-History.aspx?p=1 Read More