What struck me as very odd, as not in keeping with the inner madness and dysfunction of the characters, was that the school was clean, the lockers shined and the hallways clear of graffiti. One would expect an unkempt facility would be another sign of the inward struggles going on in everyone's life. That is usually the outcome of schools in failure. is it not?
The House of Usher was the exact metaphor for that school, the outward sign of inward decay. But what would have been able to fix it? A handful of teachers? In my opinion, the absence of God throughout the characters' lines, and the lack of respect for Him, which is the present preoccupation and intent of today's administrations, led this particular school to decline.
Education and knowledge will never be enough when it is not mixed with virtue, and what this movie shows is the price of such an environment, which, I think, speaks for most of American educational institutions. There are no absolutes being taught. Everything is up for grabs.
Kids are being told to decide life as they see it. Anything you want to believe is okay. But, if we don't teach our kids to accept the most stable spiritual foundation, the Judeo-Christian belief system, we'll continue to get what is represented in this film, a mass of people wondering just what is worth believing, what stabilizes. It's not merely about education, but an education glued to virtue.
The House of Usher was the exact metaphor for that school, the outward sign of inward decay. But what would have been able to fix it? A handful of teachers? In my opinion, the absence of God throughout the characters' lines, and the lack of respect for Him, which is the present preoccupation and intent of today's administrations, led this particular school to decline.
Education and knowledge will never be enough when it is not mixed with virtue, and what this movie shows is the price of such an environment, which, I think, speaks for most of American educational institutions. There are no absolutes being taught. Everything is up for grabs.
Kids are being told to decide life as they see it. Anything you want to believe is okay. But, if we don't teach our kids to accept the most stable spiritual foundation, the Judeo-Christian belief system, we'll continue to get what is represented in this film, a mass of people wondering just what is worth believing, what stabilizes. It's not merely about education, but an education glued to virtue.
