Teaching Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina in the Age of the Trigger Warning
Keywords:
women writers, trigger warnings, traumaAbstract
This paper reviews the debate over the use of trigger warnings when teaching sensitive material and discusses the importance of teaching difficult texts in light of troubling subject matter. The argument is that trigger warnings may provide students with the opportunity to manage their stress and anxiety when encountering material that may be disturbing or even traumatic. This paper also illustrates the value in teaching texts involving complex issues, such as Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina. It also outlines a variety of effective strategies for teaching Allison's novel along with her memoir, Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. It does not seek to provide a definitive answer to the trigger warning question, but to add to the conversation with a specific example in a specific cultural context.
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