Psychopathy texts for teens

[webglider]

Lord Of The Flies by William Golding is a classic often included in the curriculum of American high schools. Most of the action takes place among children who are marooned on an island during World WarII
with no adults. Threre are three archetypal characters: Ralph - a normal human child, Jack - a psychopath, (Both Ralph and Jack vie for the position of leader) "Piggy"-rational and orderly, who tries to organize the other children to work together for survival, and Simon - spirtual and intuitive, the antithesis of Piggy.

The story explores the process of how one psychopath, Jack, can ponorize an entire "nation of children" until it collapses into anarchy and murder.

Another book written for teens is "The Chocolate Wars" by Robert Cormier. Here is a synopsis from Wikipedia:

High school freshman Jerry Renault's mother has recently died. The novel opens with him trying out for the football team, a scene in which he is continually battered but keeps getting up and trying again. His prep school, Trinity, is effectively run by the "Vigils," a secret school society who keep the other students under control by giving cruel "assignments." The novel alternates among several points of view, including Jerry, Archie (the Vigil "assigner"), Obie (Archie's sidekick and the Vigil's secretary), as well as other Trinity students. The novel explores Jerry's loneliness and sexual frustration, and Jerry frequently ponders the quotation posted inside his locker: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" from T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

Brother Leon (the Assistant Headmaster of the school) is striving to be Headmaster, and currently is, due to the fact that the Headmaster is sick in the hospital. He believes that if he gets the students to sell twice as many boxes of chocolates (at twice the price) during their annual chocolate sale, the funds raised will aid the school. To motivate the students, he asks Archie (and by extension, the Vigils) for their help. The Vigils promise to support the chocolate sale; however, they give Jerry an assignment that requires him to refuse to sell chocolate during the first ten days of the sale and then sell the chocolates after ten days have passed. Even after the ten days have passed, Jerry still refuses (in order to break free of this school tradition), angering Brother Leon and the Vigils. Initially, Jerry's continued refusal results in his being seen as a hero of sorts, but when The Vigils retaliate by rallying behind the chocolate sale, Jerry is reduced to a villain, becoming the victim of harassment and violence. In the end, the Vigils con Jerry into participating in a "boxing match" (with school thug and bully, Emile Janza) in which he is completely beaten. Jerry is severely injured and tells his only real friend, Roland Goubert, a.k.a, "The Goober," to do whatever The Vigils say regardless of whether or not he wants to. The book ends with Obie confronting Archie for his cruel actions, and telling him that someday he will regret what he has done; however, Archie barely listens, having no remorse for what has happened.[

I taught this book - once. It was a book I had to teach, but I hated sharing this vision of the world with my students.
For some reason, I found the Golding book more age appropriate because the children are rescued from the island by adults which gives the impression of a restoration of order. (Of course, the whole story is framed by nuclear war).

To tell the truth, one doesn't have to look very far to find teaching examples of psychopathic behavior. I always felt uneasy during chase scenes where innocent people are knocked down, carts overturned, etc. I always wondered what happened to those people. In the U.S. where the culture has been very ponorized the examples are endless.
Perhaps there are some examples in Swedish popular culture.

And then, of course, there is always history and current events. Try explaining NAFTA or any trade agreement to a teenager. It doesn't take long for them to understand how many people have been hurt by them in such a relatively short time. I always ask why, if they are so detrimental to people's welfare, were they allowed to pass.

That question leads to another interesting discussion about education and personal responsibility.

 

[foofighter]

Thanks webglider, yes "Lord of the Flies" is probably a good example. However, I think that just showing these examples will do no good whatever, for the simple reason that noone (kid or adult) is going to watch them and then go "AHA, now I know what a psychopath is!". It's just going to be "horribleness on the sceen", "bad guys", which is food for the emotional center, but that's it.

The causality needs to be reversed. I think it is important to FIRST discuss the different traits, as described in for example In Sheeps Clothing, and if some of them seems abstract, then tales, stories and movies can be used as examples. I know that when I watched Little Shop of Horrors the other day I couldn't watch it as "just a movie", but instead started analyzing the dentist and the veggie, putting names on their different behaviours, and seeing them for what they are, instead of just "bad guys on the screen". But this I could only do because I "knew what to look for". Knowledge must be complemented with being, and vice versa.

Most of the replies so far have given great examples of movies that could be used to explain psychopathy, but which doesn't really externally consider the age of the target audience. Would it then be correct to interpret the responses so far that noone has really done this before? Is this new grounds for this group?

 

[webglider]

Most of the replies so far have given great examples of movies that could be used to explain psychopathy, but which doesn't really externally consider the age of the target audience. Would it then be correct to interpret the responses so far that noone has really done this before? Is this new grounds for this group?

It's true in my case because I never had the insight into ponorology and psychopaths until I found SOTT and read "Political Ponorology", and several books on the recommended reading list on the subject.

If I were to teach such a book as "Lord Of The Flies" now, I would certainly do what you are suggesting: I would begin with a discussion of evil, and I would elict a list of traits that the kids would consider evil. Then I flip it around and show how evil is often cloaked in beautiful clothes and teach them what to look out for.

The closest that I ever came in all the years I taught to addressing this problem is through Shakespeare.

"Macbeth" clearly shows the hyperdimensionality of influence.
"Hamlet" shows the results of a kingdom usurped by a psychopath, (King Claudius, while trying to pray,
can not because he honestly says that he has no regrets for what he's done."
"Richard III" is a great example of evil as is Iago in "Othello".

I always believed that people were really good inside if they only had a chance.

I did, however, give a pretty throrough run down on NAFTA to students I am currently tutoring who have to do a report on this subject. At first they're not interested, and then, as the implications for the people in all three countries become clear, their eyes widen, and their jaws set, and I can tell that they got it.

There is also the movie, "The Corporation" that ennumerates psychopathic traits.

It's always good, to teach the concept first, and then find examples in the text. Alternatively, one can elicit examples from the text and create a list that comes from the kids. Sometimes it's a good choice to do both.

It depends on the kids, and as you know them best, you will know what is right for them.

 

[BassMann22]

Quote from: foofighter
And if I tell them too much, and they start talking about it in school, they will be in serious trouble, and so will I, so that's something to consider as well too.

Very interesting indeed how the young and teens have become (lust)objects of pleasant/unpleasant tools for adults. Two observations: It pays to have your own children to re-experience what we ourselves went through(obviously adults never seem to learn their lessons) and secondly, Life is the preacher. We are being taught and learn by life. Perhaps trial and error, but the subject requires a much deeper look as psychopathy in many ways has infiltrated all walks of life as we seem to have found ourselves in some type of living and learning as-we-go process, notwithstanding a million or so years behind the halfway checkpoint.

Question: What is the chances that we find ourselves in a distant past, in our present now, struggling to learn and make right decisions to create or live in a better future?

 

[Adaryn]

Very interesting indeed how the young and teens have become (lust)objects of pleasant/unpleasant tools for adults.

What do you mean by "(lust) objects"?

Two observations: It pays to have your own children to re-experience what we ourselves went through

In what does it pay to have them experience what we went through?

 

[foofighter]

It pays to have your own children to re-experience what we ourselves went through(obviously adults never seem to learn their lessons)

If I could help my daughter avoid even a fraction of the abuse my wife went through in her life before I met her I would do anything to achieve it. Hence this thread.

Life is the preacher.

Sorry, I have no need for preachers, in any form. Are you sure you don't believe what you sing?

We are being taught and learn by life. Perhaps trial and error, but the subject requires a much deeper look as psychopathy in many ways has infiltrated all walks of life as we seem to have found ourselves in some type of living and learning as-we-go process, notwithstanding a million or so years behind the halfway checkpoint.

Again, hence this thread, so that our children does not have to go through our lessons the hard way. There is psychopathy all around them, so examples are ample. It's the not-seeing-it part that is entirely unnecessary.

 

[BassMann22]

MARKED AS READ

Bm22
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One Point 'worth' clearing. Whether we see it, believe it or not, we are being taught by life. Life is preaching and teaching us but it seems we never really learn and that being usually over periods in millions of years verses a few thousands for humanoids (God forbid in a few human lifetimes). The situation we find ourselves in is not the best for any quick spiritual advancement or instant enlightenment. (don't waste your time concerning religious hangups about me foo, I'm good! ;)) There are people who never seem to learn their lessons. I accept reincarnation as fact and many lives which reenter carry some of the old karma from previous past lives. In most cases, we tend to fall into the same traps of beliefs, psychopathy, religions, naivete etc., etc.

 

[anart]

MARKED AS READ

Bm22

What, exactly, does the above mean? Is there a reason you added this to your post?

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One Point 'worth' clearing. Whether we see it, believe it or not, we are being taught by life. Life is preaching and teaching us but it seems we never really learn and that being usually over periods in millions of years verses a few thousands for humanoids (God forbid in a few human lifetimes). The situation we find ourselves in is not the best for any quick spiritual advancement or instant enlightenment. (don't waste your time concerning religious hangups about me foo, I'm good! ;)) There are people who never seem to learn their lessons. I accept reincarnation as fact and many lives which reenter carry some of the old karma from previous past lives. In most cases, we tend to fall into the same traps of beliefs, psychopathy, religions, naivete etc., etc.

'Bassman', the above is what is referred to as word salad - lots of words, but very little meaning. What do you mean by 'I'm good'?

Also, you have not responded to the questions posed by Prayers for Rain - is there a reason for that?