Everywhere in the United States parents and teachers are attempting to ban certain books from middle schools that are thought to have objectionable content. Many of these have taught children important lessons over the years. These challenged books include the tragic classic I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. It's the touching, nonfiction autobiography of a girl who was raped as a young child and is forced to deal with that and racism throughout her life. Because of these mature themes, many people think that this book should be banned from middle school libraries. I disagree. I think that it is important IKWCBS book stays on the shelves in middle schools. It is important for kids at that age to learn about real-life issues such as those presented in the book. Besides that, many children are already exposed to these issues and banning books has proved to be ineffective in many situations.
IKWCBS should not be banned from middle school libraries because children in middle school need to learn about real life issues like those in the book. For example, in the book, the main character Maya deals with a lot of racism aimed towards her and her family, since they are black and living in the era of the Great Depression. These are unavoidable subjects in life even today, and the best way for a child to learn about these issues is through reading about it. And either way, it's not as if children haven't already been exposed to racism. Some experience it firsthand, while others learn about slavery in school in as early as 2nd grade. In the book, Maya's grandmother takes her to be treated by a white dentist, but the dentist says "I'd rather stick my hand down a dog's mouth than a n*gger's". This may seem extreme to some parents and teachers, but this book is an autobiography, and it gives kids a real look into history and what life was like for black people at that time. It could also help kids who are experiencing racism towards them by giving them something to relate to. It could help them feel like they are not alone, and maybe give them a boost in confidence.
This book also shouldn't be banned because book banning in general is ineffective. According to the article “The Banned Books We Have Loved”, "banning doesn't... hurt the [banned books] much at all. If anything, it may even inspire more interest....and sales, too." Banning certain books just makes books more intriguing and kids more interested. For instance, the New York Times best seller “The Hunger Games” was one of the most frequently challenged books of 2011, according to the American Library Association. Yet the book and the series has only become increasingly popular, and the first and second in the trilogy have already been made into movies.
Some people want to ban IKWCBS because it has sex and rape scenes in it. But this is not a good reason to ban the book because most middle school kids have already been exposed to this through books, movies and media. Sex Ed or Health is also taught in many schools, so it is not an unfamiliar topic with middle school kids. Also, if rape scenes make the child reading the book uncomfortable, they should know when to put it down. it should be an expectation for kids of that age to know what they can handle in a book. If a child reads the blurb/content of a book such as this one and is uncomfortable with it, he/she should be mature enough at an age of 11 and up to stop reading it.
Limiting kids from reading certain books such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is wrong. This book specifically has important themes and real issues that kids should learn about or already have learned about, like racism, rape, and sex.
No comments:
Post a Comment