Dead Student Society (Essay Sample)

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Dead Student Society
Cultural Heritage
Question 1.
‘Dead Student Society’, the title to the article presents a dual vision to the article’s purpose. On one side one would argue that student societies are useless and do not work as supposed. However, on the other hand, upon reading the article, it is easy to realize that the message is on the ‘dead’ students in schools. He puts it that, "…but that wasn't enough to save me from the mind-numbing traditions of credits, class notes and curriculum." The text illustrates the normal uninvolving life of high school students. The sole message is to open readers’ eyes on the plight facing education—specifically high school.
Question 2.
The author uses first person prose throughout the essay. He gives an account of his reflections during high school and the various adversities faced by unconventional and independent students in school. Using first person prose makes the problem seem more personal. Told in a narrative style, the style of narration used by the author gives a reader the sit-and-listen environment of an autobiography—conveying the message that the author knows their subject by heart. Using the first person perspective renders the account more relatable to students with the same feeling.
Question 3.
The article gives a reflection of an educational culture more bent on drilling facts to students than letting students experience the learning process. By shedding light on the prevailing educational culture, one is able to reflect on their learning experience to refer to the significance to most of the things they ‘learnt’ in school. The role of education should be to invite the society into an endless world of discovery. In a way, Evan Morgan tries to explain the roles of humans in the society. The role of extending knowledge to generations and making the learning process as evocative as possible should be the task of all educators.
Cultural Criticism
Question 1.
Apart from the non-involving learning process, the author could also be conveying a pothole in one of the most important societal practices. Education has been passed on from different generations and cultures since ancient history. The learning process was meant to enable learners to best cope with and understand their environments. Evan puts it that, "I saw everything modern education was missing: creativity, energy, passion." This means that modern education has lost the values once held by it.