thesilencedscribes

[thesilencedscribes]

The Hate U Give

Published in 2017, Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give (commonly and purposefully abbreviated to THUG) is the most recent of all the books I’ve covered on this blog so far. Although only published 6 years ago, it has already found itself on the growing list of banned books according to The American Library Association. In fact, it is because of THUG’s recency that the conversation of censorship in books is all the more nuanced and we can see “new” justifications behind book bans. While drugs and overwhelming vulgarity are nothing new for controversial YA books, the apparent promotion of anti-police rhetoric that the book has been criticized for is something I haven’t seen as much of in the past. I think this is due to a combination of THUG amassing popularity with YA audiences and the incorporation of relevant, hot button themes. The book itself follows black, 16-year old Starr Carter from a poor black neighborhood, who feels compelled to code-switch in order to appeal to the white population of her wealthy private school. However, Starr is traumatized after witnessing the murder of her childhood friend Khalil, by a white police officer. This incident causes Starr to reflect on herself and the relationships in her life and to take action in trying to achieve justice for Khalil. Thomas uses the subject matter and inclusion of current events to base her social commentary on the issues strewn throughout her novel. With the manipulative news reporting and biased public opinion that threaten Khalil’s image posthumously, THUG explores issues related to race and discrimination, which are shown to be devastating to the family and friends coping with Khalil’s loss. Starr’s responsibility as the only witness to what happens is also used to challenge the way we talk about crimes like this. Starr forgets to mention certain details when being questioned and her anxiety that this could contribute to justice not being carried out is presented as a very rational fear when she is met with skepticism from people more sympathetic to the officer who killed Khalil. Starr is discouraged from speaking up for what’s right by ignorant friends and torn family members alike which provides much of the turmoil that Starr feels when questioning what to do and what to think in the wake of Khalil’s death and the ensuing fallout. In conclusion, the banning of THUG is not just one of removing a book that could make readers uncomfortable but a discouraging of conversations around the challenging of what’s conventional and the harm brought on by effective silencing. While the book is criticized for its use of offensive material ill-suited for YA readers, there is suspicion around this being the real reason for the book being banned. When Angie Thomas was asked about her feelings regarding the book being banned for inappropriate language, she had this to say, “There are exactly 89 instances of the F-word in 'The Hate U Give' […] But last year alone, over 800 people lost their lives at the hands of police brutality. That number is far scarier. So when you're telling me it's the language, no, that's not what it is. You don't want to talk about the topic."

[thesilencedscribes]

A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich

Alice Childress's 1973 novel A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich goes against the conventional approach of YA literature that emphasizes relatability. Instead, Childress focuses on individualized experiences that are rarely discussed. She accomplishes this by creating humanized characters facing difficult and little-discussed problems that still connect with young adult readers. For example, the novel follows 13-year-old African American Benjie, who struggles with heroin addiction, a topic not often addressed in YA literature.

Through the perspectives of other characters in Benjie's life, readers gain insight into his challenges and come to understand him as more than just an addict. However, the novel faced censorship and was one of eleven books at the center of the 1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico case, which raised First Amendment issues concerning the availability of certain subject matter to children. While acknowledging the need for public schools to monitor potentially harmful material, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of providing students with a range of viewpoints.

This ruling is particularly relevant to Childress's work because she believed in her writing's ability to represent the underrepresented. Hero highlights the compounding struggles of parental abandonment, racial dynamics, addiction, and poverty. By writing a character who navigates the world at a tumultuous age complicated by their circumstances, Childress creates a novel that appeals to readers who can identify with such experiences, creating an opportunity for readers to engage with difficult conversations about complex topics.

Proving the potency of Hero is writer and magazine editor, Miguel A. Ortiz in the article “The Politics of Poverty in Young Adult Literature”, who argues Childress’s novel accomplishes a tie-in between the issues we see in Benjie’s life. The addiction that Benjie deals with is given depth through the narration of other characters, who use their designated chapters to mention the underlying issues that cause Benjie to rely on heroin in the first place. This technique is as Ortiz states, “allow[ing] for utmost flexibility in portraying the conflicting interest of the several characters”. This depiction humanizes the drug addicted Benjie and gives him the depth to make him a character readers can grow invested in while also showing the broader issue of drug addiction since we see Benjie’s friends and family get realistically frustrated but they still provide necessary narration that keys the reader in to the complexity of an addict, offering room for in-depth discussion where it otherwise wouldn’t be approached. The harm that this causes for the overall conversation is prevalent in the discomfort that propelled the district to take action in the first place since the people who were concerned were likely plagued with their own prejudices about the subject matter that could have been properly combated had books like Hero been more readily available because as Ortiz puts it, "Childress’s novel offers a powerful critique of dominant narratives about drug use and addiction that reduce these complex issues to simplistic moral judgments or stigmatize those who struggle with drug use", which just goes to prove the importance of diverse materials for students who learn about political issues as it relates to literature.

[thesilencedscribes]

Forever... (novel)

Judy Blume’s 1975 Forever… was published in the “Golden Age of young adult literature” and like The Chocolate War, explores “adult themes” presented to a YA audience. The protagonist, Katherine Danziger is a high school senior who we follow as she navigates the relationship with her first serious boyfriend, Michael Wagner. The relationship between the couple provides a new experience for Katherine to learn more about herself as a person even if the subject matter deals heavily with the relationship.

The themes of independence and maturity are explored through Katherine, written by Blume to communicate a healthy relationship with sex, something Blume wanted to be understandable for her intended audience. Forever…’s look into conversations about sex is given due layers and was the first of its kind for many readers who might have had questions that Forever… could now answer.

In spite of this, Forever...'s disruption to status quo wasn’t met with only praise. The candid talk of sexual intercourse that had amassed interest from it’s viewership also earned it a spot on banned books lists. That Forever… also includes the normalization of birth control has meant the book has been challenged by religious groups who take issue with Katherine being prescribed a birth control pill by her gynecologist. 

I think one of the biggest takeaways from Forever...'s censorship is the paradoxical contrast between Blume’s intention for her YA audience to learn about sex and relationships in a comfortable manner and its status as a banned book. What this says to me is that the conversations that aren’t being had are a result of waywardness from groups that don’t see an underlying issue with these conversations not being had when readers are young and about to start navigating relationships and sex in a new way. The removal of the guidance that Forever… provides seems like a misguided attempt to avoid any complications associated with relationships for the age group Blume wrote this book for. This affirms to me that the conversation around sex in YA literature is important for YA audiences who may also see this blog and get an understanding into the nuances for the ban. I think that the silencing of the conversations that books try to have is a big part of why my blog exists. If curious readers are discouraged from reading books like Forever…, they should have an understanding as to why, and I think its through this blog that they have access to that.

I took a look at Jenna Spiering and Kate Kedley’s 2019 article, “”You can’t go back to holding hands.” Reading Judy Blume’s Forever in the #MeToo Era””. This article was insightful, bringing in contemporary ideas that add to the conversations on sex started by Blume more than 40 years before. Spiering and Kedley focus on public perceptions about sex, as to why the book is banned. Concluding thoughts from the article summarize the power Forever… has in the conversations it tries to initiate, with Spiering and Kedley stating “Although Judy Blume’s Forever has been an object of scrutiny and discussion for decades, it is still an important text and cultural artifact that has the power to engage students in discussions about sex and sexuality in the contemporary moment.” This is exactly why we should see books like Forever… receive more attention because as we become more aware of sexuality’s role in YA readers' lives, it becomes imperative that we have these books to assign to readers to normalize the complexities that come with relationships such as the ones in Forever….

[thesilencedscribes]

The Chocolate War

Robert Cormier published his 1974 novel, The Chocolate War in an already very revolutionary time for adventurous writers. This proved to be ground-breaking and The Chocolate War amassed an unprecedented appreciation from readers who were fond of the previously unconventional manner in which Cormier wrote the interactions and difficulties of his characters.

Controversy surrounding The Chocolate War seems to come from the unconventionality that Cormier brought to the table. Keeping in mind the era that The Chocolate War came out, insubordination of any kind would be daunting for older figures in would-be YA readers lives and so I can agree with YA expert, Michael Cart’s stance that the book was challenged by “adults who continued to protect their tender sensibilities[,]”. Cart seems to take a stand against the banning of the book because of The Chocolate War’s daring to “disturb the comfortable universe of both adolescents”, and the aforementioned adults, while he also admires The Chocolate War’s holding of “unprecedented thematic weight and substance for young adults.”

Within the confines of Trinity High School, readers bear witness to corruption on the part of the schools Assistant Headmaster, Brother Leon, who’s decision to misappropriate funds into the school's annual chocolate sale fundraiser propels much of the injustice seen in the plot. As main character Jerry Renault refuses to sell the chocolates, he consequently throws off the authoritarian ways present at Trinity, inciting the “Chocolate War.” And so, the school’s careful ecosystem of subordination crumbles as other students also make the decision to not sell their chocolates.

Because Jerry is punished for his refusal to cooperate with the rules imposed on him and the story’s antagonists don’t receive any karmic retribution for their misdeeds, Cormier unabashedly presents the reality that not all is just in the universe. The Chocolate War’s status as a YA novel means susceptibility to censorship due to reasons American Library Association cites as, “sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence”. These aspects of the novel would be compelling to their intended audience who were getting an almost-first-hand experience into the real world from the standpoint of an adult who did not underestimate the importance of the YA audience, and instead directly echoed the sentiments of his favorite author, Grahame Greene, who had said, “The creative writer perceives his world once and for all time in childhood and adolescence and his whole career is an effort to illustrate his private world in terms of the public world we all share”. Cart shares this to drive home the purpose of Cormier’s writing, which is to share an experienced perspective on the real-world issues that underrepresented YA readers will encounter and may not have the wisdom to understand the normalcy and validity of their newfound challenges. I think it’s a shame because the controversial aspects of The Chocolate War are things that are supposed to be learnt around this time of an adolescents life and in book format, The Chocolate War succeeds in communicating this to its readers. I think one of the largest takeaways in the conversation around The Chocolate War’s consistent appearance on ‘banned books lists’ is the seeming paradox between the “unsuited to age group” and the positive reception by YA readers who were/are at a valuable age to broaden their perspective into how the real world operates. The Chocolate War as not just a novel, but a banned book, is a graspable piece of content that YA readers and banned book enthusiasts alike can understand as a book with historical significance for its content inspiring so much controversy.