As a Public School Teacher, I Believe One of My Principal Duties Is to Help Students See

Dear Parents,

As a public school teacher, I believe one of my principal duties is to help students see the world with new eyes and from multiple perspectives. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch eloquently summarizes the importance of this “global perspective” when he tells his daughter: “If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” In our ever-shrinking world, this idea couldn’t be more important.

One of the tools I have used to help meet this objective is teaching William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. In this work, Golding raises some important questions about human nature and about what it means to be human, as well as about the role society plays in shaping behavior. In addition to relying on Golding’s written word, I have found Harry Hook’s (1990) film version of Lord of the Flies to be particularly helpful in allowing students to engage with Golding’s ideas and philosophies.

The purpose of this letter is to keep the lines of communication between home and school open. The film carries an MPAA rating of “R” for “some sequences of strong language” and “sequences of violence.” In an attempt to support his philosophy that mankind is inherently evil, Golding chooses to have his characters engage in acts of savagery. These acts – so crucial to the author’s philosophical statement about human nature – are included as a pivotal part of the film. For further information about the nature of these “savage” scenes, please feel free to check out IMDB’s (Internet Movie Database) parental guide to Lord of the Flies at

As your child’s teacher, I want to be respectful of your right to parent your child – I know some parents may be uncomfortable with having their child view an R-rated film. I am a firm believer in the educational value of this work; however, I want to honor parents’ rights. Please complete the slip listed below and return it to me no later than: Monday, March 10, 2008. I will give students not viewing the film an alternative assignment to complete during the time the film is shown.

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I DO / DO NOT give my child, ______, permission to view Lord of the Flies.

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Parent/Guardian Signature Date