Fright or Flight

      My tenth grade English teacher was Miss Caffarelli who I also think, along with my social studies teacher, was fresh out of college. If we teased her about being single I do not remember. I do recall my Dad flirting with her at Open House – he did that a lot. And it was not that he would have ever followed through with any of his flirting - which is probably why Dad thought it was innocent enough for him to do. Sometimes though, almost always, I found it embarrassing – flirting with one of my teachers – definitely one of those embarrassing moments. Of course that is probably too strong a word for what he was doing – I guess charming and on the the verge of inappropriate would be closer to it – and I can't come up with examples other than a wink or sly smile after a comment – and the fact that I can still remember how I felt that night at open house when Dad said something to Miss Caffarelli. So typically Dad.

      One of the earlier assignments in tenth grade English, which was American Literature, was to read William Faulkner's acceptance speech made when he won the Nobel Prize for literature. And then we were supposed to read a short story by another author in our textbook – it was called Flight, and then we had to write an essay about the story based on what Faulkner said in his speech. Well I interpreted the speech as Faulkner saying writers should stop trying to scare the crap out of the reader and instead talk about belief in our ability to survive. And Flight was about someone running for his life.

        So I said that Faulkner would not have liked the story at all – it was about a frightened main character and the narrative was meant to keep the reader scared!

       When everyone had handed in the assignment, we all discussed it. And, surprise! I had missed the correct answer completely! Flight was about someone bent on survival – just what Faulkner said was needed in contemporary authors! I was so nervous! I would be getting a failing grade on that assignment. But when my paper was returned to me, I had a B! Even though I had missed the point of both the speech and the short story, Miss Caffarelli had given me credit for defending my point of view in my essay!

     This was a totally new concept to me! I had always thought that either you were right or you were wrong – how could I have been wrong and still gotten anything other than a failing grade? To be given some credence for backing up a point of view was an eye-opening experience!

     We should have had more similar assignments because I have never forgotten this one.

      And you know, if something is considered good enough to make it into an English class textbook, you probably can't go wrong in taking the side that whatever it is, it is most likely good literature even good enough for someone like Faulkner's criteria.

       Every once in a while over the years, I google Faulkner's acceptance speech and read it again – hope for the human spirit – even mine!

241 20150829 Fright or Flight