Wednesday, August 01, 2007
where's the line?
So, one, I feel quite special for having comments on my last post. wow! But, now to the point.
In the spirit of, one should read the book a movie is based on, before going to see the movie, and how the director's 'vision' ruins the book, I checked out and read Stardust. It is a graphic novel - i.e. comic book for grown-ups. Though I am hesitant to fully recommend the book due to two quite racy incidents, and pictures to go along, the story was inventive, complicated and fun.
However, I was a bit dismayed that the book was in the juvenile section. I mean, the book did not offend me, though it was verging on the way too graphic of description, I'm not sure how I feel about some unsuspecting kid getting the book to read because they liked the movie, and having quite a surprise. And parents getting to explain things because of this surprise.
My freshman year I wrote my English paper on whether Harry Potter was acceptable for children. I didn't come to a fail-safe yes/no answer. In the end, the answer to the thesis question was yes, with the idea that the parents were supervising.
Unfortunately, this isn't always an option. Not all parents are paying attention to what their children are reading.
I remember two instances where my mom censored something: some romance novel a friend had lent her, and she was even embarrassed that she had, and Schindler's List. At the time, I was a bit miffed, especially in regards to the movie. (I was miffed about the book, because, well, I like to read anything and everything.) But looking back, I was 14. Sure, I'd read Number The Stars, Devil's Arithmetic, etc. so I'd known about the Holocaust, but I think she felt that I didn't need to have a first hand look. I'm grateful - especially after having experienced the Holocaust Museum in DC this summer. Some things, though they are truth, can be too much, especially for children.
So, back to the question: where is the line?
Should a graphic portrayal of sex (in words and pictures) be available to children? (And remember, this is nothing about censorship - just availability to children - and yes, a child could easily get it from another section of the library.... Just posing questions here.)
So that's all.
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2 comments:
Sometimes the name graphic novel befits the content, eh?
You know just because a child knows about sex, as I uncomfortably learned at age 10 from my parents, a pencil and a yellow pad of paper, this does not mean that they are mature enough to fully understand an intimate relationship. Fifth graders (and for that matter 9th graders) cannot comprehend the depth of a relationship between man and women. High schoolers begin to understand the idea of attraction, but really they often see sex as the end all of end alls, which it obviously isn't. But if kids are allowed to see intimate moments in adults' relationships they get a skewed view.
I agree with you, it is up to the parent to censor--lacking a better word--the material so that children and teenagers are given a clearer version of what is important in a relationship, or at least what to look for in a relationship and not just a hottie.
This must be hard. Kudos to responsible parents out there.
About the Schindler's List idea. When I was in 5th grade my dad took me to see Glory in the theaters. It was hard for me and I didn't really understand it. But I had been very interested in the Civil War and the freeing of the slaves. I don't know whether I should have seen it or not at that age, but I do remember that it was powerful. I wish that my father had discussed it more with me.
It's important for children to understand the world around them, like your reading of Number the Stars, but inundating kids with heavy material is very counterproductive.
There I've blogged on your blog.
I think parents should be allowed to censor their children's reading/viewing. However, I also think that the Joseph Smith principle of "Teach them good principles and let them govern themselves" also applies. That is, I think if you've taught your children why you don't let read X or watch Y, then when they run into something questionable, they should be able to recognize that they are too young for it.
I think that's especially true when things get mis-cataloged in libraries (like I imagine your graphic novel was). I think people are used to certain media being only for children - comic books, cartoons, illustrated books, etc - when in fact there are numerous texts in those media that are in fact meant for adults.
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