Maus
My thoughts on Maus by Art Spiegelman being banned from schools in McMinn County Tennessee? Ok. see I do get it. We're talking about 8th graders. 13 and 14 year old kids. I get that. I also feel like some of the reporting is a little disingenuous. Some are just presenting a boogieman of a book being banned and really glossing over the things the school board members had to say about the decision making process.
I read what some of the school board members said about it, both the good and the bad. Most of the the members were recorded as speaking to both pros and cons of keeping the book in the curriculum. Some outlets are really only quoting the more negative statements about the book, and not the praise, and the importance of what the members acknowledge that it teaches. The majority were not making any claims that it was a bad book, or untrue, or anything like that. What these outlets are missing in the reporting by not showing how the pros and cons were weighed is that the choice ultimately came because the board as a whole felt that it was too adult for 8th graders. Maybe I agree. I don't know. I was more liberal in what my daughter was learning at that age. Kids are not as delicate as we sometimes think they are. They can understand and absorb very difficult concepts.
The main problem that SOME of the board members mentioned is that it's got about 20 wordydirds in it (and I use that kindergarten term on purpose because of the other euphemisms that were bandied about these words, all of which I'm sure each and every one of those 8th graders is familiar with, and has probably used at one point of another.) There is also a frame with a naked female (Dead by suicide, I believe) which is also considered objectionable. I would go out on a limb and see it wouldn't be the first artwork of a naked woman they've seen either, and the context wasn't sexual as far as I could tell. Then there is also the whole suicide and death concepts and other NOT NICE scenarios, because you know HOLOCAUST. It's not a nice topic.
Even the animal heads have meaning. We're not talking about a story book here. We're talking about a depiction of events that happened, from the point of view of the Author's father, and at times from the point of view of the author, having grown up with a holocaust survivor. It's a reality that happened and that we must understand happened and never forget that. NONE of these board members have forgotten that. They have just decided that the subject matter is above the level of an 8th grader. They aren't in any way saying "We don't want to teach the holocaust" or "We have decided to only teach Holocaust Lite to our students." They're saying the opposite for the most part. Their concern is the age of the students in question. Ok. I get that. I don't really know if I agree, but they have to decide what is best for their school, in THEIR community. In my opinion, in some communities, they would still be making the same choice about it if the kids were 17 and 18 year old seniors, because "oh my gosh! 20 wordydirds! and naked dead lady!" That's unfortunate. I wish people would not shelter their kids so much. Maybe we wouldn't be in such as state right now if kids had more raw truth growing up.
So my response to the situation: I'm interested in seeing the work myself, and what I know about it just from reading around this evening is intriguing in how the characters from different backgrounds, locations, ethnicities etc. are portrayed, and the method of the storytelling itself.
I bought the complete book with both graphic novels in it.
I read what some of the school board members said about it, both the good and the bad. Most of the the members were recorded as speaking to both pros and cons of keeping the book in the curriculum. Some outlets are really only quoting the more negative statements about the book, and not the praise, and the importance of what the members acknowledge that it teaches. The majority were not making any claims that it was a bad book, or untrue, or anything like that. What these outlets are missing in the reporting by not showing how the pros and cons were weighed is that the choice ultimately came because the board as a whole felt that it was too adult for 8th graders. Maybe I agree. I don't know. I was more liberal in what my daughter was learning at that age. Kids are not as delicate as we sometimes think they are. They can understand and absorb very difficult concepts.
The main problem that SOME of the board members mentioned is that it's got about 20 wordydirds in it (and I use that kindergarten term on purpose because of the other euphemisms that were bandied about these words, all of which I'm sure each and every one of those 8th graders is familiar with, and has probably used at one point of another.) There is also a frame with a naked female (Dead by suicide, I believe) which is also considered objectionable. I would go out on a limb and see it wouldn't be the first artwork of a naked woman they've seen either, and the context wasn't sexual as far as I could tell. Then there is also the whole suicide and death concepts and other NOT NICE scenarios, because you know HOLOCAUST. It's not a nice topic.
Even the animal heads have meaning. We're not talking about a story book here. We're talking about a depiction of events that happened, from the point of view of the Author's father, and at times from the point of view of the author, having grown up with a holocaust survivor. It's a reality that happened and that we must understand happened and never forget that. NONE of these board members have forgotten that. They have just decided that the subject matter is above the level of an 8th grader. They aren't in any way saying "We don't want to teach the holocaust" or "We have decided to only teach Holocaust Lite to our students." They're saying the opposite for the most part. Their concern is the age of the students in question. Ok. I get that. I don't really know if I agree, but they have to decide what is best for their school, in THEIR community. In my opinion, in some communities, they would still be making the same choice about it if the kids were 17 and 18 year old seniors, because "oh my gosh! 20 wordydirds! and naked dead lady!" That's unfortunate. I wish people would not shelter their kids so much. Maybe we wouldn't be in such as state right now if kids had more raw truth growing up.
So my response to the situation: I'm interested in seeing the work myself, and what I know about it just from reading around this evening is intriguing in how the characters from different backgrounds, locations, ethnicities etc. are portrayed, and the method of the storytelling itself.
I bought the complete book with both graphic novels in it.