Just about every great work of literature that I have ever read have had passages that disturb - and anger - me.
Some of Dickens' narrative is grim... Conrad is a racist, but not by the standards of his day. Zola is depressing in his extreme form of 'realism', and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is upsetting from start to finish. And what about 'All Quiet on the Western Front'?
There must be some students who've had shocking experiences in their lives and lived through episodes that have traumatised them. I can well believe that there are some works that will definitely trigger their trauma. They are not Snowflakes, they are young people dealing with distress.
I don't know what the answer is. Maybe a synopsis of each work so that they can decide whether to read it or not?
There are definitely some books I read that I would not choose to read again - or read in the first place if I'd know how they would have affected me. I remember at age 17 reading a novel in a coffee shop in London and the realisation of what I was reading affected me so much, I had a panic attack and had to run out. Thing is, it wasn't even anything particularly disturbing, just a haunting description of someone faced with a dawning reality about life, loneliness and the futility of it all. The panic attacks and consequent depression was quite long lasting.
How could anyone have warned me about that? And I can't even remember the name of the book or its author...
Exploratory Essay Help: Navigating the Uncharted Territory of Writing
Where did 'please' and 'thank you' go?
Does anybody work out with kettlebells ?