October 4, 2002

I Teach English -- and I Hate Reader's Guides

By DENNIS BARON

"Wayne tells Ginny that 'people want to be fooled.' What does he mean? Do you think he's right?" "What is lost or gained when Fowler abandons realism?" "What do you think of Daniel and Jo's marriage? Would Jo's betrayal of Daniel have been more profound if she'd actually had an affair with Eli? What do you think the author thinks, and why?" "What is the nature of Louis's sexuality?"

These questions, which read like a lit final mixed with soap-opera summaries, are aimed not at students