The Abstinence Teacher Gets An A In My Grade Book
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The Abstinence Teacher: An ‘A’ in My Grade Book
Summary:
Tom Perrotta and I share two things: our New Jersey roots and novels about sex education. His latest work, "The Abstinence Teacher," is the only other novel besides my own, "The Sex Ed Chronicles," that explores this still-taboo subject.
Article:
Tom Perrotta and I both hail from New Jersey and have authored novels tackling sex education. His recent work, "The Abstinence Teacher," stands out alongside my own, "The Sex Ed Chronicles," as it delves into a topic that remains controversial.
In "The Abstinence Teacher," we meet Ruth Ramsey, a divorced high school sex educator who faces backlash from the evangelical Tabernacle church after making inappropriate comments. Then there's Tim Mason, a former rock musician turned born-again Christian and devoted soccer dad, who struggles with his faith under the same evangelical influence.
Ruth and Tim's internal struggles are captivating. Both search for self-worth through others, feeling they've lost something akin to faith. Ruth lives by the mantra "pleasure is good, shame is bad, and knowledge is power," but doubts her students grasp her teachings. Privately, she questions her own sexuality, worried genuine love or even just good sex will elude her forever.
Meanwhile, Tim grapples with his Christian life, battling desires for his ex-wife and dissatisfaction in his current marriage. He frequently seeks guidance from Pastor Dennis to reconcile his faith, attempting to find sexual bliss within church-imposed rules.
Their paths cross dramatically at a soccer game when Tim leads his team in prayer, including Ruth's daughter Maggie. Ruth's objection to this draws further ire from the Tabernacle. Her earlier clash led to an abstinence-only sex education course she struggles to teach. This new conflict strains her relationships with her daughters: Maggie, who wants to play soccer for Tim, and Eliza, who starts exploring evangelical fellowship.
While my novel "The Sex Ed Chronicles" is set in 1980, before sex education became mainstream in schools, Perrotta's "Teacher" is contemporary, focusing on fundamentalist Christian culture over the art and science of teaching sex education. Yet, both novels highlight the significance of sex education and the belief that knowledge is power, illustrating the challenges educators face in the classroom.
Both stories critique abstinence-only education, emphasizing its inconsistency when compared to more comprehensive approaches. They raise questions about which perspectives should shape public school sex education and how minority views can dominate in a society where parents and students often remain silent.
Ultimately, "The Abstinence Teacher" made me concerned for sex educators like Ruth, who must suppress personal values to avoid controversy. A teacher’s effectiveness is compromised when forced to shield faculty from public scrutiny. In this way, Ruth’s predicament mirrors managing a late shift at a convenience store, a no-win situation that tests one’s resolve.
Perrotta’s humorous and insightful portrayal of sex re-education today earns "The Abstinence Teacher" high marks from me.
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