Okay, it's Wednesday, and like most Wednesday mornings i've gone to Panera to have some coffee and among other things, to finish the novel for 426. i apparently need to stop doing this, or begin wearing sunglasses. this is the third time i've had to wince back tears in public due to our reading list... so much for street cred. but, god, what an interesting book! i would love to teach this book because of the way it relates to our ever-progressing technology, instant feed, and un-learned intelligence. i loved that it had its own vocabulary, kinda like A Clockwork Orange, yet a little easier to pick up( excellent for building comprehension skills). i especially think this is a great book for the character interaction with which the students could easily find themselves relating to... if nothing else this book could be seen as a manual for maturing. i can't even begin to explain how much my heart is broken over Violet. Anderson did an amazing job at getting to one's heart... especially with Titus- whom i wanted to hate so much, but couldn't, Anderson did a good job at telling the story unbiasedly, having reasonable arguments for Titus all well. Fortunately, there was time for Titus to still go back one last time, and though it is obvious that she is soon to die, i really like that it is ended with ambiguity...that she is not technically passed. The only discredit to this book is the language. And despite Titus explaining that the story is rated PG-13 for language in his time, there are far too many "fucks" in there for a similar rating in 2011. Then again, if kids are expected to read and say "nigger" without qualms, what are a few "fucks"? (Yes, i know, excellent transition. Thank you.)
I, before this article, never knew what the big deal was with Huck Finn. I had assumed it just had to do with the n-word, which i, like most minds in my mostly all-white ( a few Vietnamese and one Hawaiian) high school, thought was hypocritical considering the words use in rap music.However, now i can really relate to the main issue with Twain's writing. It is not the n-word even though the defense of that was a euphemism of the time, is apparently invalid. it is the way in which Jim is presented as an adult-idiot and the implication that he is true of all Negros. this is ironic considering Twain's criticism of how James Fenimore Cooper presented native Americans in a parallel fashion. if i HAD to teach this book i would certainly help students to understand why there was so much controversy about it, and teach it along with another book like To Kill a Mockingbird or Native Son. However, if it was merely a CHOICE to teach this, i would pass on it. i have never enjoyed Twain, nor seen his supposed genius.
Would you encourage your students to have this emotional connection, like you had when reading this book? How would you present Feed in the class?
ReplyDeleteAlso, would you be able to somehow relate rap music and our culture's ideas about the use of profane language in rap as opposed or in addition to literature, such as Huck Finn?
It's nice to see you making emotional connections to the books, and even better thinking about how your students will making connections, and if emotional ones at that. I like your connection about the N word and the word fuck being similarily the equal. I think they are both hard and would not want to force my students to say either, yet I would want them to understand the emphasis that the author makes when choosing to use these words.
ReplyDelete- I've never read Huck Finn so it's hard for me to fully understand the criticism that comes along with it. Yet I do not want my novels to offend anyone, and hopeing to work in a diverse district I have to be considerate of my students.
Way off topic, but doens't Panera have the best cookies and coffee? Anyways, I'm glad that a man is willing to admit that he has had that strong of a connection to a novel. I thought it was a really good book, too. The language was hard to get used too but like you said it would help with comprehension and being able to use context clues. Kudos on having a heart Brian :)
ReplyDelete"And despite Titus explaining that the story is rated PG-13 for language in his time, there are far too many 'fucks' in there for a similar rating in 2011."
ReplyDeleteJust curious.. how come? Is there a difference between reading it in a novel, hearing it in a song, hearing it in a movie, or seeing it in comments online? Or are they all the same, and all of them should have the same standards?
" i can't even begin to explain how much my heart is broken over Violet"
ReplyDeleteI think this is another big issue ever present in our society today, which is people regarding everything with such little value. It begins with our toys, then clothes, then dogs, and eventually works its way up to our relationships with others. We only get excited while the "product" is new and refreshing, but after a while we just tend to become bored with what we already have and want to seek out more, a newer, more refined version of the last, and for a lot, it's never-ending. Just like our phones that become redundant and a thing of the past after a mere six months, people are doing this on a larger scale jumping from one relationship to the next because they've become too bored with the last. And in the grand scheme of it all, nothing is really that different, so people tend to chase towards an ideal that doesn't exist, when reality wants to tell them it's right here in front of them, but they're too blind to realize it.
Heidi, i will always, always, always encourage students to have an emotional response to a book! i want them to find metaphors and notice diction and see important symbols, but above all to find themselves within the book. if you can't read with your heart, you are not truly reading by my standards. also, i would love to incorporate rap into my classroom, i've thought about it alot... my three main hang-ups though are the administration who may not even concider the idea, the parents who don't give a rat'a ass what their kids listen to but suddenly fret over what they hear in the classroom, and that the students who may think i'm some old white guy trying to be cool.
ReplyDeleteNate, i think there can only be one "fuck" in a pg-13 film. and as for ratings across media i think that in all honesty that there should be no difference. however, i never want to see a "warning: explicit text" written across all the novels i go to buy, but i do think we need to concider foul language when it comes to high school students despite the fact they may rattle off these words in every sentance on the street.
ReplyDeleteDenny, i totally agree with you, and it's a snow-balling effect. because we always want new things, and want them cheap, nothing is made to last. who shaves with anything but disposable razors anymore, economy cars are built to only last five years, everything is disposable and sadly people, relationships, trust, honor, and love have fallen into this disgusting cycle.
ReplyDeletetears, tears, tears...I'm so glad that someone else experienced the same thing I did. This book was pretty trippy in the beginning and I found myself questioning why Dr. Shannon found it to be a worthy read, but WOW was I surprised by the second half of the novel. It was really interesting reading this novel as I was surrounded on my cruise ship by crazy drunken spring breakers. I really thought the heart of the American teen (language and all) was captured. Brilliant read!
ReplyDeleteWhile this book is good for teaching relationships. Do you think that some students would have an issure with the language in the novel. This would be my only reservation about teaching the novel. School should be a safe place for students, not somewhere where they may feel uncomfortable due to the material. Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem?
ReplyDeleteI think it's absolutely awesome that you had such an emotional connection to the book, even if it means losing some street cred! I also agree that as teachers we need to pay attention to language in the book, because despite the fact that as teachers and students "fuck" has become a very typical part of language it is important that we don't cause controversy with parents and other staff members. I NEVER want to see warning labels and ratings on books either, so as teachers it will be our job to deem books appropriate or not in the classroom.
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