AVADA KADABRA your teachers ass

Avada kedavra* Seriously, don't people even know how to spell fake spells anymore?

Yet the teacher was not stupid. The books are a very strong criticism of socialism, whether that was intended or not.

How so?

I wouldn't necessarily call the teacher stupid. Each and every person can find their own themes in any book they read - it's called projecting. However I do find fault with a teacher who gives you a topic for an essay, and tells you you have to write it from the viewpoint they choose. It's not that teachers these days are "stupid" it's that they feel all of their own opinions are the only correct ones, and subsequently must be force fed to their students.

39 - However, a student *should* be able to write from any viewpoint. I've had plenty of teachers assign topics/argument/viewpoints that they willingly admit were complete BS because it forces you to stretch yourself as a writer/debater/thinker.

@39 any good teacher forces students to get outside their comfort zone and learn to see the world from other viewpoints. I had to write a reports about why the Nazi regime/ Black Plague/ Crusades were good things for the world. Just because it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean it's stupid. Getting long winded here but... Alot of people can't step outside their own beliefs and see the world through other eyes. Good teachers force students to learn that skill because it makes the world a better place. Sure Harry Potter being socialist or whatever (never read the books) might be a small viewpoint shift but its a building block for learning how to see the world through other belief systems. Sounds like OP actually got a teacher with some brains instead of just being a teacher who worries about standardized testing. Also I'm willing to bet OP is a consistent pain in the ass to be removed for one comment. Especially with what I've seen of how kids nowadays behave in class.

#1 It's ironic how you have that profile picture and you found this FML.

Considering the teacher kicked op out of class I don't think that is the case here 64. If the viewpoint makes no sense at all to people while being that specific they are just going to google it copy paste and be done. I think the exercises you mentioned would be way easier to do research on, so are just better projects. Sounds like the teacher is just a jerk.

What the hell do you mean by "fake"?

Stupid teachers were once stupid students, probably of the same school environment. Search for "Politics of Harry Potter" on Wikipedia. J. K. Rowling tends to be liberal/left herself.

Oh, those were simply a commentary on modern international trade.

I would guess Stephanie Meyer meant to display the effects of writing while high on crack/cocaine.

45 - nahh it'd be a good series if that were the case. After all Stephen King wrote half his books while high and they're all uber good :)

It was clearly an allegory for shit!

@#2 Yeah about that. Twilight is basically a conservative propaganda. The book expresses strong protest against abortion, advocates the misbelief that homosexuality is a choice, and so on. So in fact it's a bigger pile of shit, than you'd have imagined.

I believe Meyer has already said Twilight is a story of abstinence and restraint. She failed. It's just about creepy people and abusive relationships.

The vile choice bouncing around in the author's head between *********** and necrophilia.

Vampires need teenage girl's obsessions as much as real people?

They're trying to prepare them for the outside world :p

This is why I hate the education system, it is seriously screwed up. It's not just the teachers, but sometimes it is.

Now my teachers, except for my skepticism and logic teacher, are like "we want you all to be your own successful individuals, with your own opinions, and do what you want to do. But it must be done, said, and criticized exactly how I do it, or else you will be punished or will get a 0" my skepticism and logic teacher is the only one allowing us to state our own thoughts about things... but this is the first semester so far, with strict teachers, it could get better and many of my other teachers might not think or act this way in the future

#4, that's 50 points off for Gryffindor! Do you want to keep this subversive talk up, mister?

Next time Op, don't say a word even if ask upon. Tell her you don't want to get kick out for your stating your opinion.

That would be the real goal, but too many people become teachers for the express purpose of brainwashing kids to think like they do.

I think the OP was more disbelieving about it being an allegory for "socialism" specifically, not just that it's an allegory. :)

*Sirius

I see what you did there. : 3 Sirius was my favorite character. I felt like I lived vicariously through him, what with one of my dreams being to bust out of prison...

how did that get down voted?

Well I was just thinking that trying to argue a point you don't actually believe is actually very challenging and may actually help you understand better why you don't agree in a more logical way. So if you agreed or not it would be a challenge.

its funny how professor umbridge is the embodiment of standardized testing...

Personally, I just like the story lol. The underlying messages are interesting, but not as much as the plot. In my opinion, that is.

#9 really is secretlyJK Rowland...

Rowling*

Ha! I wish, 44. But I'll take that as a compliment...unless you were being sarcastic and meant to insult me in which case, screw you!

I don't even see it as anti-big-government (and I still haven't heard anything in the way of explaining how socialism was expressed in the story). It felt that the she was simply using a corrupt government entity as a plot device - and it worked well. There are many aspects of novels that are simply part of the story and not a bigger statement on anything in the real world.

Well spoken.

They're just trying to force it into their lesson plans. It's pointless. You learn what they want you to learn. A.K.A(Brainwash)

Well obviously socialism wasn't on your mind... What 12 year old keeps thoughts like that on their mind reading a series about magic and wizards?