This article, written by Sherman Alexie, is closely related to my viewpoint of Children's literature. Violence or other controversial topics may not only be intriguing enough to motivate an otherwise uninterested young person to read, these subjects can surprisingly enrich the learning experience. Whether a reader has had tumultuous experiences (as the readers described in the article have had) or are just simply curious about depravity, it is important to provide some sort of outlet. The ideal choice, in my opinion, is literature. A curious child would be better off learning about drug use, for example, by reading a story rather than attempting to experiment with them.
At the parent's discretion, children should be afforded similar rights as adults - to read whatever interests them and not have to worry about the material being either unavailable or considered "bad" thus causing shame in their curiosity. Alexie makes an outstanding argument regarding his reasons for writing this type of literature. In his article, he writes, "...I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers." His reason correlates with the motivations of his readers. They are searching for an outlet for the unavoidable stresses of adolescence. With all the despicable things a teen must endure in today's society and the limited resources available to them, why would anyone want to take away what could serve as an effective coping tool? Is this material any worse than what's on the five o'clock news or on a crime drama that airs prime time on a national network?
By, Allie Capobianco
No comments:
Post a Comment