All Summer in a Day (I had to Gooooooogle the title, as I did not remember it) was a short story written by Ray Bradbury (something else I didn't know until I Goooooogled it).
This is the second time this story has come up for me in the last 15-20 years. Last time was like in 2007 and a co-worker was trying to remember if it was something they had actually really read or something they imagined.
I was the only person there who confirmed it to be true, but man it took me back immediately, as did the this literary reference.
Neither took me back in a good way.
Honestly, I think I repressed the whole experience of the story as what came flooding back in both instances were possibly my first story experience of bullying. It was such an act of cruelty and I remember it shaking me to the core at the time - and these two times decades later.
I never reread the story, but perhaps I should. Perhaps it is not as cruel as I remember, but I think that not the case.
As many schools are claiming (but not acting on) zero-tolerance bullying, I wonder if this is part of their curriculum. I don't recall there being a teacher-led discussion on this story after the fact, but I think there are huge life lessons to be had.
While the one character is locked in a closet, the experience is fluid with any other personal "oddity". I'm sure I equated it with being queer - though not quite sure what it all meant at the time - but others could use looks, personality, intellect etc, as their catalyst for being picked on.
The Wao reference was just so out of nowhere it jarred me. It was days ago I stumbled across it and I'm still thinking about it all.
Did anyone else read / remember All Summer in a Day? If so, thoughts on it or if I'm overthinking (again)?
Song by: Bananarama
1 comment:
I doubt if bullying in America is on the decline
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