An overload of depressing texts
Key Idea: Mr Sparks criticises Spencer College’s English book list on the grounds that the majority of the texts consist of depressing content that has depressing outcomes.
Key Argument technique: Mr Spark’s argument is based on his own personal experience at school, plus he uses a string of book examples to show a common pattern, that is, the obsession with death and failure. (He believes there is a common-sense link to mental health and stability issues).
Key argument technique: the author criticises the school and teachers/ to show a problem with the texts
Appeals: duty of care and health issues.
Word level; “nothing but books on death, homophobia and rape”; “blocking out too much has an impact on our marks”; “trigger health warnings”; repetition of depressing content/things/outcomes”.
Adopting a resolute tone, Mr Sparks criticises the school’s list of English books because of their anti-social and depressing content. He uses his own personal experience to highlight, what he believes is a disturbing pattern of texts studied at his secondary college. He refers to examples such as Burial Rites and To Kill a Mockingbird to encourage his school readers to recognise what he believes is a logical and obvious link between the prevalence of depressing texts and the increase in mental health issues among young adults. For example, he is particularly critical of the story of Maus that focuses on genocide and suicide and Maestro which is about failure. Whilst seeking to shame those teachers who make such choices, he also expects his audience and teachers to recognise that the overload of “depressing content” exacerbates the problems of those young adults who are suffering psychological issues. The fact that their marks are suffering is designed to outrage students and parents who may believe that they are being unfairly disadvantaged.
Return to Exercise 15: overview, pp 46-47
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