The Awakening of Spring by Frank Wedekind offers a very provocative view into the world of teenagers circa 1891, although the moral of the story may not be as archaic as the age of the play. It brings up several red flags like improper sexual education and ignorance over mental illness. With Wendla and Moritz being the targets of such behavior, it brings to mind that this is not uncommon in modern society; education on certain controversial topics fails to be properly translated to teenagers, which subsequently puts them in severe danger.
Frank Wedekind
Wendla’s story in particular surprised me based on the stupidity of her mother. Her mother practically refused to teach her daughter proper sexual education. Not only did she completely fail in that realm, but she completely denied her daughter the privilege of knowing about her own rape and pregnancy. If she had been more forward with Wendla about sexual intercourse, it may have very well saved her daughter’s life, but her unwillingness to deal with sensitive subjects ultimately led to her getting the short end of the stick. Although the play was written in the 19th century, parallels can be drawn to modern society regarding horrendous gaps in education.
The play reminded me of an incident that happened in a California high school last December. Parents were outraged when Planned Parenthood was brought into Acalanes Union High School to educate the students about consent, sexuality, and gender identity because they thought the program was promoting their children to engage in sexual activity. Unfortunately, this is the root of the problem. If parents educated their children properly on the dangers of sex, then they should not have to worry about Planned Parenthood, the largest sexual education provider in the country, having a negative influence on them. I hope these parents among others who do not condone sexual education soon realize that informing teenagers about the dangers of sex is far more beneficial than no education at all.
Frank Wedekind really took some risks when writing this play in such a conservative age. I’m not surprised in the least that it took him over a decade to stage a single performance. While I give him credit for that, I give him far more credit to be daring enough to bring out such controversial topics that still need to be discussed today. If parents don’t have serious talks with their children, the end result will not be a spring awakening, it’ll be a rude awakening.
Planned parenthood helps teenagers so much in sexual education. They not only help them educate on sexual education but also help provide contraceptives. I don’t understand why parents disapprove of this program. There have been many opposition to Planned Parenthood aiding woman with abortion from the pro-life group. However in Wendla’s case it would probably be beneficial to her to have a program like this.
I agree with what you’re saying. Many teenagers are unaware of the changes that occur to them and are often not taught about sexuality and such, these programs do a lot to help educate them in place of parents. Wendla was hidden from her rape, abortion and was never taught about what had happened and like you said, “in Wendla’s case it would probably be beneficial to her to have a program like this.”
I am also a big advocate of proper education for teenagers, both on sex and on mental illness. It blows my mind how some parents believe ignorance is the proper route for their children, as if they are expected innately to know to neglect their urges and pressures around them without their parent’s guidance. It is unfair to leave your child in the dark about what they should expect to encounter as they grow up. It leaves them blind and unable to handle themselves when they do face these issues.
Personally, I don’t view sex as a taboo. It’s a perfectly nature and innate characteristic of humans. I don’t understand what’s the big deal about it. Also, after reading 3 blogs posts on Spring Awakening, I’ve realized that everyone seemed to neglect the end when Melchoir disappeared with the mysterious man and how that contributed to the overall plot. I view the disappearance aligned with the theme of how no education leads teens into a dark and mysterious path.
Wouldn’t you agree?