Loosely Connecting St. Cassian, The Lottery, and Half-Nelson

Eric Fink, associate professor at the Elon University School of Law, brought this image and description to my attention.

More background: "St. Cassian, like all good martyrs, was executed for refusing to renounce his beliefs. What's interesting about his case, though, is that he was sentenced to die at the hands of his pupils, whom he taught to read and write (and, apparently, to use shorthand)."

Even back then, students apparently had strange ways of showing their teachers respect and appreciation.

The barbarism toward St. Cassian reminds me of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. In both cases, children are encouraged to participate fully in cruel and unusual acts. Though unpleasant, The Lottery has the potential to make us think more deeply about ourselves and our ways. We might want to argue that nothing in our culture even remotely compares to what Jackson describes, but we too have our own modest traditions that we tend to accept unquestioningly. If you haven't already, I'd encourage you to read Jackson's short story.

Much less directly, I thought of a fairly recent movie about a teacher who punishes himself through drug use. An otherwise inspiring teacher, Dan Dunne leads a lifestyle that puts his life and career in jeopardy. Though also unpleasant, "Half Nelson" features impressive acting and challenging issues for us to consider. It's well-worth renting and watching.