Introduction
Education is a point of concern for people of all ages and backgrounds since childhood is strongly tied to the idea of discipline and learning. In the United States and many other countries, “forced” schooling is a societal standard accepted as a positive force in every human life. However, the criticism of this system reveals its pitfalls as well as the negative sides of people who hold authority over education-related decisions. Two of the essays that discuss the problems of the modern education establishments are “Idiot Nation” written by Moore and “Against School” written by Gatto. Both works aim to expose the harmful nature of schooling that developed in the previous decades and is enforced to this day.
However, the authors bring the audience’s attention to various aspects of this issue, use different language and tone, and appeal to their distinct demographic. Moore talks to adults and children, using simple, humorous, and emotionally-charged language to show the toxic effect of corporatism on education and inspire students to subvert the streamlined processes for individual and collective liberation. Gatto uses a much more academic approach, although his text still uses pathos to demonstrate the negative outcome of boredom and a lack of challenge that schooling provides. Nonetheless, the author targets parents and other adults to reveal the actual pillars of the educational system.
Similarities
To start, one should note that the two pieces have similar goals and arguments in regards to contemporary education. Both authors discuss the criticism that many politicians have for American teachers, calling them greedy or boring. Gatto, as a former teacher, states that teachers are, in fact, as bored as students. The problem in schooling lies not in individual behaviors, but in the systemic pressure put on children not to explore and acquire new knowledge, which is then transferred to adulthood. Similarly, Moore rejects the idea that teachers are the cause of adverse outcomes for children, stating that their place in the system is also limited by their poor working conditions, low wages, and the lack of recognition (20).
These arguments, while presenting a different view of the profession, lead to the same conclusion. The power that determines the quality and substance of education is not the teachers but the politicians and corporate leaders who hold both legal and financial authority. Furthermore, the two authors state that children are not allowed to explore the world, being encouraged or pressured into conforming instead.
Differences
Authority and Information
The two texts differ substantially in their appeal to the chosen audience. It is especially interesting which previous personal experiences the authors refer to when discussing the problem. For example, Moore clearly talks to children – school students for whom the problem of education is the most relevant. To show his understanding of the issue, the author recalls stories from his childhood and teenage years.
Moore goes through several periods of his early life, talking about his first grade and high school in more detail. Through his stories, he shows his attitude towards school as a “sick, sadistic punishment” or a “two-thousand-plus inmate holding pen” (17). This is the dominant strategy for Moore to establish a connection with children who may feel the same way about school. His role as a former student is the foundation of his distrust of the system.
Gatto, in contrast, uses his social role as a teacher and an academic to present his points. His experience is used in the beginning – Gatto answers the children’s question about teachers’ boredom, stating, “the kids were right: their teachers were every bit as bored as they were.” Next, the author uses information from other scholarly sources, research, and historical examples of widely known individuals to support his argument. Here, one can see a definite appeal to one’s logic; the knowledge collected over the years by professionals provides a foundation for the analysis.
Examples
As can be seen above, the choice of the demographic and personal role leads to the authors using different examples for strengthening their claims. Moore, as stated previously, recalls his own experiences in school. However, he also relies on statistical information that demonstrates the contemporary state of literacy and people’s interests in the United States. The author presents such numbers as “forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level” and “only 11 percent of the American public bothers to read a daily newspaper” (Moore 3-4). These statistics allow him to demonstrate the failure of the school system to encourage learning.
The author also provides many examples from the country’s corporate initiatives, talking about Coca Cola, Pepsi, Zap Me!, Hershey’s, and other businesses. The discussion of these firms’ involvement in school activities is the pillar of his argument against corporate America.
Gatto’s examples are historical in origin as they present people’s analysis of the issue. For instance, he gives a comparison of the American school system to the military state of Prussia. Here, Gatto explains that the standardization of tasks and questions and the environment that limits any means of self-expression was taken from Prussian culture and adopted for education. Moreover, the author uses other academics conclusions to show that schools are “long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers-as virtual factories of childishness” (Gatto). Finally, he talks about the unschooled but great inventors, scholars, captains, and admirals to challenge the idea that formal education is necessary for success and achievement.
Language
Lastly, one can discuss the style of the two works, which contributes to the authors’ tone and helps them present the information. In agreement with Moore’s message to young people, the author utilizes emotionally-charged language, slang, metaphors, and epithets. Moore compares the voice of television hosts to “the sound of hyenas on Dexedrine” and says that radio programs are full of “nonstop nonsense” (10). Gatto is not afraid to use harsh language, pondering whether people give “a rat’s ass” about the quality of English Literature programs at American universities (19). These examples bring Moore’s essay closer to an informal conversation that he could have with people, and the tone makes the work highly accessible and influential.
Gatto’s essay, while emotional, is much more formal in nature. He still asks many rhetorical questions, but his discussion of the issue is focused on information and the call to one’s moral judgment. Gatto, in comparison to Moore, prefers the pronoun “we” to emphasize the impact of societal decisions that led to the current school system being flawed. For example, Gatto writes that “we buy televisions, and then we buy the things we see on the television.” As a result, Gatto’s work is more comparable to a public speech rather than an informal dialogue.
Conclusion
The analysis of the two works by Gatto and Moore shows that the issues surrounding the contemporary schooling system can be discussed on different levels. Moore’s text uses a personal approach that can be easily understood and related to by current and former students. It is an exploration of the corporate America through news, recent events, and one’s own experience. Gatto’s essay is an examination of previous research and knowledge about education and its development in the US. The author’s language, in turn, is academic, and his aim is to encourage adults to reconsider the need for continuous and fun learning.
References
Gatto, John Taylor. Against School. Web.
Moore, Michael. Idiot Nation. Penguin Books, 2005.