In \u201cConstructing Anne Frank\u201d Spector and Jones argue that historical fiction, while engaging, threatens to distort students\u2019 perception of real events. As an alternative, they suggest that teachers supplement interpretive works like the Goodrich and Hackett play, with primary sources and real life accounts of the historical events, so that students can recognize the optimistic slant of the play. I agree with the authors\u2019 teaching tips, and think it\u2019s a great way to teach students to critically analyze any movie, play, or book that claims to be \u201cbased on true events.\u201d Rather than choosing to exclude these works of historical fiction, teachers should allow their students to confront these interpretations and learn to view them as inherently biased and one-sided. From Freedom Writers to Pearl Harbor, there is so much in the popular media that claims to depict real life events. If viewers are not taught to critically analyze the films as a works of art, they fall into the trap of forgetting that the work is an interpretation rather than a primary source.
\nAs I was reading this piece, I was thinking that it might be interesting to ask students to write their own short plays that take on a particular slant and interpret the historical events in a way that promotes a narrow understanding. When students take on the roll playwright, they will discover the creative freedom that an artist has in creating a work of historical fiction. Because a play is technically artwork, there is no pressure to depict events exactly according to fact. I think such an assignment would help students view images, films, and plays in the popular media as interpretative works of art rather than historically accurate sources. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In \u201cConstructing Anne Frank\u201d Spector and Jones argue that historical fiction, while engaging, threatens to distort students\u2019 perception of real events. As an alternative, they suggest that teachers supplement interpretive works like the Goodrich and Hackett play, with primary sources … Continue reading