Teachers

[Choucho]

As some of you might know from my random appearances around the forums, I'm somewhat of a writer. So, this is mostly for research purposes (in a way), but it could spark come conversation as well. I have a few questions for you.

1. Do you believe it is morally acceptable for a teacher and student to have an intimate relationship (leaving out the question of age difference)

2. Imagine you're seventeen (that is, if you are actually not seventeen). What kind of things do you think could possible make [a person of that age] attracted to someone older, specifically a teacher.

3. Imagine you are twenty-three (same as above, assuming this is not your age). What kind of things could possible make [a person of that age] attracted to someone younger, specifically a student?

4. The homosexual community is subjected to many stereotypes, including those of promiscuity and pedophelia. As a member or supporter of the LGBT community, how would you react to hearing news of a story, the main focus of which was a relationship between a student and teacher.

5. If you can think of one, breifly describe a situation which may allow a student and teacher to connect emotionally. (Keyword being emotionally)

6. What kind of obstacles might a teacher-student partnership face in their relationship?

7. It is a common belief that too much sadness in any peice of work turns the audience off. According to your personal preferences, where does the line get drawn between acceptable and unacceptable.

8. (I'm trying to get to ten because I like round numbers... it's hard.) Have you ever read a piece of work which was told in first person, where the narrator changed sometime in the course of the story? If so, do you think it was effective?

9. In literature, there is a device known as "suspension of belief". In plot segments where romance is involced, what causes you to personally lose the ability to believe in what is going on (ie real people don't act that way, too coincidental etc.)?

10. Any other comments/questions you'd like to add to the discussion?

[musican]

5. If a student comes to a teacher with a problem and asks for guidance, a personal trusting, and emotional connection can be made.

6. They're relationship isn't accepted in society. It is illegal for certain things they might want to do, let's put it at that.

10. Depending on the people involved, the younger person may develop a dependence on their partner and their emotional growth may be stunted.

[n8i2c7k]

Wow and this is just after i came from the incest thread.

1&4. I think these i can answer at the same time. What i said befroe i will say again "Whatever floats your boat." I beleive that if no real harm comes out of it, its completely fine. Its taboo for me personally but i will not discriminate. If i hear stories about a teacher-student relationship, yes the initial response is "thats weird and gross" but you learn to be more accepting and in time its like "whatever, people should mind their own business."

2&3. Hmm i honestly dont know what would make me attracted to someone older or younger. Love is a very ambiguous thing and i personally havent discovered it yet. So i really dont know.

5. I would think when there is an emotionally stressing problem on either or both sides and comfort can be found in confiding in the other person. If either the student or the teacher can find emotional support in the other i think a "bond" would form because its dealing with something very personal. And this applies to anyone of course, freinds, family, whoever. If youre able to get personal with someone i think you will develope a emotional relationship with that person.

6. I would think it would mainly be the close-mindedness of the public and the inconsiderateness of the media. People who look upon this as taboo and want to display it to the world like some kind of freak show. People who go out of their way to hate and deride people who are different.

7. Wow subject shift. Well, i think yes too much can be bad because then people are like "Man, this is depressing. That person needs help." Sadness can be a way to get the readers attention and get sympathy and stuff like that. It can be a real asset to a piece like when people are connected to the it emotionally. Sadness is a way to relate to the reader and make the piece more interesting. But like anything, too much is bad. Take happiness. Too much and people are going "Man, this is really really happy. Its like im reading a kids book. This is way too happy."

8. Effective how? Effective in captivating the audience (or reader but lets just leave it at audience for now.)? Yes i think it was. My teacher told us a story when he changed personally. Him telling us how he changed, what made him change, and so forth impacted us like it impacted him. Perhaps not to such an extect, but at the least it made us think. Because if you really do think about it, whatever happened had to be "effective" else he wouldnt have changed. Even though it might not have applied to us at that moment, it did get us thinking.

9. I think that unless its being used for comic relief or something different than an actual part of the plot or storyline than being too "fake" just detracts from the worth of the piece. If things are too fake then people arent going to take the peice very seriously. Its like watching a B-movie and cringing at the bad acting. Its (to me) just detrimantal to the piece as a whole.

10. Finally kidding. Sorry if im a little too nonchalant or indecisive at times or if i really dont know what the hell im talking about

[Wander]

1. Although there are some obvious blackmail/bribery situations that are almost certain to arise, I really don't care.

2. Knowledge and maturity can be very attractive no matter how old a person is. Look at Meryl Streep, she's nearing 60 and I'm gay and I still think she's not too shabby.

3. Perhaps a sense of desperation or sadness from being rejected by past relationships. Or maybe just physical attraction, I have no idea.

4. Assuming the relationship was consensual from both parties, I don't care at all. Age difference, gender, motives, doesn't matter to me. I might be a bit angry if it were a same-sex relationship and the media focused primarily on that detail instead of the actual story, but otherwise...neutral.

5. Shared past history, emotional trauma in one or the others' life, there are plenty.

6. Like I mentioned in #1, the possibility of do-this-and-you-get-an-A or don't-do-this-and-you-fail situations, public humiliation if revealed, keeping the secret from other students and faculty, etc.

7. Totally disagree, I love miserable stories. Especially if you toss in a sliver of sunshine at the end and then stamp it out. But I'm a misanthropic moral relativist, so pay no attention to me.

8. If you put some effort into writing it, it could be the pivotal point of the story.

9. When outside influences are forgotten or tossed aside, i.e. a relationship surviving much longer than it normally would, the relationship being dreadfully obvious but no one figures it out, the relationship gets discovered by the public just for the sake of moving things along instead of coinciding with previous plot development, all that stuff.

10. If you're going to write a student/teacher romance story, you best be working hard on it.

1. Do you believe it is morally acceptable for a teacher and student to have an intimate relationship (leaving out the question of age difference)

Not while the student is still at the school the teacher is teaching at but apart from that I don't see anything morally wrong with it.

2. Imagine you're seventeen (that is, if you are actually not seventeen). What kind of things do you think could possible make [a person of that age] attracted to someone older, specifically a teacher.

And this I don't have to imagine - I am 17 and really really like one of my teachers, the thing is I really can't tell you why I guess it's just like when you fall for anyone else it just happens and isn't always something you can explain. I mean I know things teacher isn't the best looking person but I find her hot and half the kids at school think shes a bitch but I don't I can't explain it it just is - but I guess it helps that we have quite a bit in common when it comes to interests despite the age difference and that I am quite mature for my age.

6. What kind of obstacles might a teacher-student partnership face in their relationship?

Age difference, society's and family and friends opinions. Whether the relationships started while or after the student was attending the school the teacher teaches at would depend on if the teacher could get fired for it/student expelled, this would make it hard if not impossible for the teacher to get another teaching job. (And is this a gay or straight relationship because being gay would make it much harder and more people would frown upon it)

8. (I'm trying to get to ten because I like round numbers... it's hard.) Have you ever read a piece of work which was told in first person, where the narrator changed sometime in the course of the story? If so, do you think it was effective?

I think it is effective as long as the change happens each chapter, not in between chapters and if you are going to do it this way don't do like two chapters as one person then only one as another person keep it a steady number otherwise it gets confusing.

[Choucho]

Hmm, I don't think I was quite clear enough on the "changing narrator" bit. I actually meant change to a completely different person. Not that the narrator themself changed in some way. I think it would be very hard to have a story in which the character didn't change in some way, and even if it's possible, it might not be too interesting.
As for the point you raised about blackmail, that may be a fairly common occurance in teacher-student relationships, but I don't plan to have any sort of manipulation in this story. The intention is to portray a healthy relationship, that readers can feel comfortable with supporting, and possibly even some people's minds away from some stereotypes. Of course, since this is fiction that part might not work so well.

[Bryan90]

1. By whose morals? I hope if you did write this story (and since you intend to portray it in a positive way), it'd disseminate the notion that other people's love is really none of society's business... Every relationship is different, every love is different and we should learn to respect all kinds of love that doesn't others directly.

2 & 3. I guess it depends on the character you want to build. The story of a mature teacher with superior intelligence whose life vocation is to teach and a spoilt prodigal brat would be awesome though.

4. Every community is subjected to a certain negative stereotype that we ought to obliterate... perhaps with more exposure.. like through stories!

5. I kind of answered in 2&3, but shall provide other scenarios. A precocious student who is proud of his sexuality and a teacher who struggles with his.

6. All relationships have obstacles; any attempts to generalize the kind of obstacles based on the relationship might prove futile. :S Though in my opinion the most dramatic obstacles would not be external but internal ones, springing up from the initial incompatibility of the characters themselves.

7. I can't speak for all readers, but too much "angst", I do not like.. (like harry potter book 6 and 7 :S) I believe it's a matter of prose style. "Call me by your name" is a horribly sad story and it was awesome!

8. The only first person narrative story I've read is "a curious incident of a dog in the nighttime" (shows how few books I've read). I think first person narratives are effective when trying to convey more "insight" to a character's emotions and feelings without sounding too cheesy, but you'd lose the "omniscience" effect. Which is why, when writing fiction, I myself have always preferred a mix of first person and third person narrative.

9. I find that it always occur when the writer tries to be too dramatic with the events. Like running away from murder, and police chasing them all around... unless it's the main theme of the story, these "big" events tend to make very poor sub-plot... For example, Jane Austen very often uses trivial events to develop her romantic stories. Much for enjoyable.

10. Involving two types of relationship commonly deemed aberrant (same-sex and teacher/student) definitely sounds interesting to me.. GO FOR IT!