Dialogues About Oppression and Revolution—Letter 1

This initial letter discusses Freire’s educational ideas based on his early writings, in particular Education: The Practice of Freedom and Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Esther, a young primary teacher in a rural zone, is the writer of this letter. When she is pushed to teach an evening class of young illiterate adults, Esther sees all her structured pedagogical work threatened by a challenge she did not feel prepared to face. Esther then questions the mandated state curriculum and introduces true dialogue with the students to overcome the challenges presented by this new situation. Esther’s letter introduces the reader to key concepts of an early Freire – such as limit-situations and limit-acts – and discusses the critics of critical pedagogy, who consider that this ‘method’ might not work within cultures that consider reasoning as a tool of the oppressor. In her letter, Esther explains her pedagogies and shows how dialogue can be the central pedagogical tool for the oppressed to overcome the culture of silence and develop a revolutionary conscientização.