Defending Poe

Recently, I read a parent's concern about the use of Edgar Allan Poe's work in middle school. The concern alleged that Poe's work was far too "gruesome" and that using it in class was a "trend for young teachers."

While I have nothing but respect for contradicting opinions, I would like to weigh in on the use of Edgar Allan Poe's work in middle schools, specifically the use of his story "The Tell Tale Heart." This story has been part of the 8th grade language arts curriculum in Wisconsin since well before I began teaching in 1997. While the subject matter is indeed gruesome, the combination of syntactical devices (such as repetition, similes, and dash constructions) with the inherently unreliable narrator creates a basis for the development of literary analysis skills. 

On a personal note, I am disheartened to hear Poe's work being waved off as "shock" literature with little to no educational basis. Again, while I can respect the opinions of others, I disagree completely. This is not simply a story about murdering a "handicap" person; if that were all that was there, the story would not have survived into the 20th century, let alone the 21st. Instead, it's a story of paranoia and guilt, rich with symbolism and theme, and a sad lesson that your misdeeds will come back to haunt you. 

In Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451, there is a discussion about offensive literature. What did they do with offensive novels? Burn them. Any time someone was offended, the book was burned. And what were they left with? Absolutely nothing thought-provoking at all.

I am not suggesting that you have no right to be offended; again, I always respect the opinions of others even if I disagree. Yet, consider the facts before waging a war. To say that "The Tell Tale Heart" is just a story about dismemberment is to miss the entire point of the story. It's tantamount to saying that "The Three Little Pigs" is only about vandalizing property or that "Goldilocks" in only about breaking and entering. I should think we teach our students to analyze better than that.