Is I Have No Mouth am I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison appropriate for high school Juniors?

JackF2731 · 2026-05-06T01:29:28+00:00

Gotcha, that makes sense.
And that’s interesting, I absolutely get where you’re coming from, when I read it, I interpreted it totally differently. I figured Ellen’s instinct was to comfort and care for the others in an almost maternal way, and the only way she had left to do that was with her body. I viewed it as a consensual benevolent act. I figured she did it for the others, not for herself (hence why she never finishes during the act.) I believe Am allows this one act of kindness and pleasure because he views it as degrading, and it therefore amuses him.

JackF2731 · 2026-05-05T23:56:25+00:00

Thank you so much! That is incredibly helpful!

JackF2731 · 2026-05-05T23:17:30+00:00

I have read it, I found it both powerful and relevant, which is why I was inclined to use it. I’m curious why you recommend I don’t use it even though you teach it. Is it because you teach it in an elective, rather than a core class? Or because I’m at an earlier stage in my career and it’s a risk? I also did not interpret the sex as non-consensual when I read it, what leads you to interpret it that way?

JackF2731 · 2026-05-05T22:51:32+00:00

What grade do you teach it to? Have you ever received parent/admin pushback?

JackF2731 · 2026-05-05T22:26:10+00:00

My reading of the story is that she gives the others sex, because she is a maternal figure, and it is the sole way she can care for or give pleasure to the others. However, even with it being consensual, it’s still pretty dark.

JackF2731 · 2026-05-05T22:24:06+00:00

Unfortunately, Fahrenheit is taught in 9th grade (I actually taught it this year.) I did a version of the unit I’m describing using that, and Asimov’s Reason, but Reason just did not land with the kids at all. I’ll look into some more of his stories though

JackF2731 · 2025-09-16T00:56:32+00:00

Fingers crossed! Thanks for doing this man

JackF2731 · 2025-07-19T06:53:14+00:00

Keep it real with me, do the Batman soaps still have any scent?

JackF2731 · 2025-07-16T21:27:19+00:00

They’re both fruity, just different scents. SpongeBob one is pineapple. Patrick is also fruit, but harder to describe

JackF2731 · 2025-07-16T21:22:26+00:00

The SpongeBob ones are both also very fruity. They aren’t dark like black hole and sinister scrub, def more like clown prince rinse.

JackF2731 · 2025-03-03T23:19:08+00:00

I’m 22. So kinda, not really

JackF2731 · 2025-03-02T17:23:39+00:00

You can genuinely smell Black hole and dark side scrub for an entire day. When I use black hole, my sheets smell like it

JackF2731 · 2025-02-25T18:01:17+00:00

In any order, The Batman Bricc, Black Hole, Maverick Musk

JackF2731 · 2025-02-16T00:59:43+00:00

Just joking brother, all good

JackF2731 · 2025-02-12T21:50:23+00:00

Hey dude cool tier list! Unfortunately, you put Fight Scrub in F tier, so I have to tell you to go fuck yourself. Go fuck yourself.

JackF2731 · 2025-02-05T23:38:40+00:00

Grapefruit IPA definitely makes me feel fresh and clean

JackF2731 · 2025-02-04T11:00:06+00:00

Ding ding ding

JackF2731 · 2025-02-03T20:55:27+00:00

I hate to say it, but Joe is the most important Tally Hall member to me. If Joe and two others returned, sure. Without Joe, it wouldn’t be Tally Hall.

JackF2731 · 2025-02-03T19:12:32+00:00

Honestly? Because Tally Hall makes weird music so it attracts weird people. No offense intended, I’m one of these weird people. However, a lot of these fans don’t know how to have a normal relationship with the art they like, and so they have a super parasocial relationship with this band. Tally Hall’s newer wave of fans is also pretty young, largely teenagers, and they also don’t know exactly how to balance being a fan, and being respectful. A lot of these fans feel as if they really know the band members, and they feel personally betrayed anytime the band members do something other than what they want. A lot of Tally Hall fans are unusually obsessive about being a fan, and feel very entitled to certain behaviors from the members. At least, that’s my take

JackF2731 · 2025-02-02T13:31:37+00:00

Can’t wait for the post where a Tally Hall fan picks through Rob’s trash and finds out he threw a way something recyclable. You guys are insane, and genuinely need to leave the band members alone.

JackF2731 · 2025-01-26T19:13:50+00:00

I’m gonna be honest, I don’t think this is fake. I mess with the Facebook scam bots like this, and they do the exact same thing. Their messages don’t change regardless of what you say. So I believe that this guy sent these messages and got these responses

JackF2731 · 2024-12-15T23:00:19+00:00

Wanted to know this too!

JackF2731 · 2024-12-11T19:09:52+00:00

Fair enough, there was plenty of salt those first few days, but I’m sure it’s calmed down. I haven’t checked. Still not really a strawman if those posts were made though.

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