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in support of free expression
The information presented here by the National
Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) may be freely redistributed in its entirety,
provided that readers are informed that the information was obtained from
NCAC's World Wide Web site and that credit is given to the appropriate source
of whatever information is used. Permission is expressly granted for the information
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may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents without
the written permission from the National Coalition Against Censorship.
©Copyright 2005 NCAC
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Jeanne Criscola Criscola Design
YFEN
Express Yourself! Op-Eds
Angels in America by Tony Kushner will still be taught in Deerfield High School's AP English class, despite complaints from a community member who objected to its sexual, religious and racial content and public attacks made by a local organization that call the play "pornography".
NCAC and four organizations sent a letter to the Superintendent and School Board supporting their resolve to stand by First Amendment principles.
Several other community members have since spoken out, including this graduate of Deerfield High School. Below, he responds to the controversy and shares how the challenging material he studied at Deerfield helped prepare him for college.
Response to Concern over Angels in America, by Adam London, Deerfield High School Class of 2007
“You have a fantastic literary background.” Those were the words of an award winning author and professor after a discussion in an English class at the University of Michigan this fall. I don’t repeat those words to brag or commend myself in any way. I repeat them because it was not until last year, in Senior AP English at Deerfield High School, that I became adept at drawing connections among books spanning a variety of genres.
My professor’s remarks stemmed from a discussion in which I had referenced a Shakespearean play (King Lear), a Richard Power’s novel (Plowing the Dark), and a play by Tony Kushner (Angels in America). Because I had read and thoroughly analyzed those and other diverse texts in high school, I was able to offer insights in a college classroom far beyond what the professor might have expected.
It is impossible to accurately illustrate Angels in America’s importance to the curriculum in such a short letter. Though the story deals with timely topics such as sexual orientation, racism, gender, and politics, the play transcends those surface issues to delve deeply into a variety of complicated themes to which all of us living in the 21st century can relate.
Kushner’s play is a tragic tale of loss, betrayal, and the complexities of human emotion and persistence. It is a text that not only enhances a student’s analytical abilities but also provides a contemporary platform for discussion of national and international issues. In a time when every student seems to be asking, “how does this relate to me?” Angels in America is one text that pushes students to learn and allows them to see how literature offers a greater understanding of issues facing our society. To remove the play from the syllabus would be a great disservice to motivated students who choose to include this challenging class in their schedule.
Yes, Angels in America discusses a variety of mature ideas. But the students who read the play are well prepared and mature enough to handle such themes. To focus on the “bad words” and to cherry-pick graphic scenes from the play only detracts from the positive and thoughtful discussions, theses, and essays that Angels in America elicits from its readers.
As it is my belief that students have always had the ability to communicate with their teachers and opt out of readings with which they are uncomfortable, this debate appears unfounded based upon the academic realities of DHS. The use of fear-mongering words to provoke a community response mischaracterizes and degrades an important and intelligent curriculum. I can say with absolute certainty—offering my freshman college English experience as proof—that my classmates and I benefited from Angels in America’s inclusion in the course.
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