Banned Books Week or better understood as a week of encouraging people to read or even just acknowledge the books that have been banned for the most silliest and most absurd reasons you'll probably ever hear. Banned Books Week is an international campaign held by many different American Library Associations. I feel as if this falls in line with Frank Bruni's hope for "dangerous learning" in many different ways. First off, Banned Books Week like I stated earlier is a week of exploring these books that have been banned mostly due to the parents or guardians of students feeling as if they are inappropriate and not wanting their kids "exposed" to this type of learning. Bruni's point of "dangerous learning" is that he feels as if students brains should be tested and exposed to this real life juicy information. This lines up because this "dangerous learning" could be benefitted from these banned books. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, banned in 2012 is one book that I am very intrigued to read. A heartrending, eye opening book where a girl takes her life and leaves her peers thirteen reasons why leading up to it behind her. This book was banned for drugs, alcohol, smoking, sexually explicit and suicide. Yes, all of this happens in this book obviously but it is something that students of many ages these days need to read. This book is very appealing to me because I know first hand of a friend being bullied, sexually abused and dragged around in high school so much to where suicide was finally the end result for her. This isn't only in high schools today, but its happening with all ages all around the world, and to banned students from these types of things isn't a bright idea. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult in 2009 is one book I am quite confused on the reasoning they have given for it being banned. They say its for homosexuality, religious viewpoint, & sexually explicit. This book about a daughter of two sweet parents, has had cancer her whole life and overlooking the other children, the mother has used their other daughter for may procedures to where everyone resents Kate and their mother. In my eyes, yes the scene of the "gay bar" is homosexuality, but Julia simply went to the bar and got advice that's not enough information to banned a book. This novel and film were very eye opening for me because again first hand I had a family member become very sick and was put first. Not that the rest were neglected or anything, but you really start to see how life can change in one second and how everyone's attention has to be on that one person.
Frank Bruni's hope for "dangerous learning" and John Green's message to skittish adults are very similar goals. These authors are reaching out to many people on many different levels. They are basically trying to say stop making these decisions for your teenagers and the students of today's generation. These students need to learn and know about real life, they don't need mommies and daddies trying to hide what happens in today's world. In Bruni's article "The Wilds Of Education" he states "isn't education supposed to provoke, disrupt, challenge the paradigms that young people have unconsciously absorbed." This relates to Green by when people vote to banned books, they are not learning and being provoked to these things. I honestly found Green more presenting for an argument because he put an argument out there as to where Bruni just talked about how these things are affecting today's learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment