<p>I really don’t understand the mentality behind controlling what children read or watch to the extent that is being mentioned on this thread.What does it accomplish?</p>
<p>It seems to me that the idea is that if you don’t expose your children to controversial topics, then they will grow up to have the values you want them to have. I don’t think that is the case at all. If you consistently have an open dialogue with your kids about values throughout their childhood that is the way to instill them. </p>
<p>The letter has excerpts from the book, and there isn’t anything particularly shocking about them. It actually reminded me of The Color Purple. Also, at 16 many boys and GIRLS have viewed pornography, and many have had sex.</p>
<p>How does reading about any controversial topic “marginalize” any group? Are you afraid that if a 16 year old reads a book with a small portion discussing incest, that 16 year old will think incest is ok?</p>
<p>^not having read the book, (in about 50 years and not remembering the scene in question at all) I was assuming the other marginalization was of women?</p>
<p>I didn’t read QuantMech’s posts as trying to control what her child was reading. Just the opposite - I read them as trying to support her child’s own inclinations. This thread reminds me of the “grim reading” thread, which was very thought provoking to me. I have been considering QM’s posts in that thread ever since but still haven’t made up my mind what I think. Tomorrow is my library day and “Invisible Man” is now added to the list. If the thread continues, I will probably be in a position to offer an opinion. To me there is always conflict between agreement with the idea no one should be forced to read anything and the idea an educated population is probably a good idea.</p>
<p>I continue to be appalled at descriptions of QM’s local public school situation.</p>
<p>Yes I understand that it was implied that women were being marginalized. I was asking how does reading that section of the book accomplish it. On page 3 of this thread there is a link to the letter written by the parent, and it contains lengthy excerpts.</p>
<p>I have read The Color Purple, and have to say that it reminds me very little of The Invisible Man (so far–I am still reading The Invisible Man). The Color Purple is a book that I am very happy that QMP read for a literature class in school. Incest figures in that book as well, and there are several other tragic events, but overall, I consider The Color Purple to be a very life-affirming book. I wish more like it were on the reading lists.</p>
<h1>84 Though I tend to have no problem posting on issues about which I have no knowledge, in this case I will wait to read the whole book and consider the passage in context.</h1>
<p>Thanks, alh–I appreciate your comments, and also your willingness to read the book. I too prefer to defer further specific comments until I have finished it.</p>
<p>This is when I start to wish I had one of those electronic book readers so I could just download it and read it today. As it is, I am going to try and finish Blood Done Sign My Name which I have been carrying around for more than a month since a friend insisted I must read it. I agree but am finding it almost too grim for me. Since I finished *Maddaddam<a href=“not%20too%20grim%20for%20me,%20though%20pretty%20grim%20topics”>/i</a> last night, I have to get back to it. It will be a relief to be done.</p>
<p>Although you probably cannot tell from my post count, I do have a “day job,” other than CC posting. I think it will be at least a week before I finish the book and quite possibly longer!</p>
<p>As JHS noted, some literary works need to be taught in high school because they are important works of literature, and a decent education should include them. Huckleberry Finn is the prime example of this–in my opinion, no American should graduate from high school without reading it. Invisible Man also fits into that category, in my opinion. The fact that they contain material that may be offensive to some is irrelevant, just as it is irrelevant that some people might not want to learn about some of the facts in history and biology class.</p>
<p>I’m waiting for the day when a parent seeks to have a book banned because it promotes materialism and conspicuous consumption. Perhaps we could have The Great Gatsby banned because of his shirts.</p>
<p>I think both of you will enjoy this book, and I will also recommend The Color Purple to go along with it for anyor who has not read it. However, I don’t think anybody needs to read the entire book to have a good discussion about the small excerpt which was linked to on page 3 because it is not a prevailing theme throughout the story.</p>
<p>conspicuous consumption - maybe: Sophie Kinsella and Candace Bushnell? Although I don’t really think that is their message nor do I think they are likely to be taught in school.</p>
<p>FinanceGrad: Discussing things out of context; taking someone’s word that an excerpt is not a prevailing theme, etc - a whole thread. lots of threads.</p>
<p>I like the Color Purple.Warrior Marks seemed a pretty important book at the time I read it.</p>
<p>adding: I don’t care about Gatsby’s shirts but I definitely start lusting after fortuny gowns when I read Proust.</p>
<p>Apparently, it is common belief among parents that if you do not mention sex at all in high school, the students will be blissfully or naively unaware that it exists at all. Of course, these parents would be the ones who are blissfully or naively unaware (at least until an unintended pregnancy occurs).</p>
<p>I think Invisible Man is immeasurably superior to The Color Purple, which I’ve never cared for. I also don’t see how incest is OK if it happens in a novel that winds up being “life affirming” and too vulgar if it appears in a novel that winds up being despairing. True, there are scenes in Invisible Man that degrade women - but that degradation isn’t glorified, and is used as an instance of a really destructive, warped culture. If we’re going to eliminate ever novel where the protagonist does some questionable, if not downright horrible things, we’re going to have to go a lot further than Invisible Man. Is Native Son OK because the main character simply murders a woman, rather than engaging in twisted rape play with her? </p>
<p>I don’t think high school reading lists - or, frankly, any reading lists - should be filled exclusively with dead depressing works. But I don’t think whether or not a book is “life affirming” is a reasonable standard by which to evaluate literature.</p>
<p>Quote: It seems to me that the idea is that if you don’t expose your children to controversial topics, then they will grow up to have the values you want them to have. I don’t think that is the case at all. If you consistently have an open dialogue with your kids about values throughout their childhood that is the way to instill them. </p>
<p>^^^ I 100% agree with this. My daughter is currently reading ‘Why Do Only White People Get Abducted by Aliens’. She rode her bike to the library and picked this book out on her own. I am sure that the title is what pulled her in, but this non-fiction book is about a woman who teaches at an inner-city school in the Bronx. She almost finished the book in one day. The situations are gritty, the language is offensive, but the book is wonderful. Reading this kind of book engenders discussions on many different levels. She often sits on the end of the couch and reads aloud to me. With this book, she had to do a lot of ‘bleeping’ in one section as she didn’t want to actually verbalize the words in front of me. This is our way of sharing our love of reading and discussing topics that are important. I am thrilled that my daughter trusts me enough to want to discuss issues such as sexuality, politics, poverty, education, love, war etc…with me. MANY of our discussions are a result of her book of the day.</p>
<p>I don’t support any books being banned, and I think they should certainly be available in the library (that is, if kids even use the library anymore). But there is something about young people (especially young girls) being forced, by assignment and class discussion, to read crude sexual material. Now some may consider this high minded literary works, and what’s the big deal…but I think this reeks of sexual harassment.</p>
<p>It may be hard to judge what is over the line, what is too much. For some, there is absolutely no line if the overall book has enough redeeming value. </p>
<p>A male teacher assigning and discussing raw sexual content with young girls? Creepy, just creepy. Wonder what’s the next assignment, Shades of Gray? I’m sure there’s some redeeming value in that.</p>
<p>momofmusician17-I’m going to tell my D about that book. She is biracial, has attended inner city schools and works with minority kids in difficult life circumstances. And she wants to be a teacher. </p>
<p>I also agree with apprenticeprof-the standards being applied by QM are not being applied evenly. And I also agree that the sex in Invisible Man are not gratuitous, but illustrations of the way the culture itself is twisted.</p>
<p>I wonder if the rape fantasy involving Sybil bothers QM because it is a black/white thing? The author didn’t make that up out of whole cloth-I can’t tell you how many otherwise sensible people have asked me if part of my attraction to my H is because he’s a black man with a big d**k. I salute Ellison for calling white people on this. </p>
<p>I also have issues with the whole “protect the children” thing. We are not talking about toddlers. We’re talking about young people a year or two away from legal adulthood. While there are mature 12 year olds and immature 50 year olds, chances are that most any assigned reading is something that a college-bound youth could handle. Thatthe boys in QMP’s class were jerks doesn’t mean the book is beyond most teen readers, or too difficult for them, just that the teacher didn’t handle it well.</p>
<p>busdriver11, if you’re equating a book about the dark and twisted lives of some blacks in the 1950’s with “mommy Porn” I don’t even know what to say. And if you feel that any sexual content in LITERATURE cannot be discussed in class, then get rid of Shakespeare, much of the Greek and Roman classics, and as noted above, parts of the Bible. And the fact is that unless one is in a single-sex school with same-sex teachers, s/he WILL have to discuss uncomfortable topics with opposite-sex teachers in a mixed classroom</p>
I think it will be at least a week before I finish the book and quite possibly longer!</p>