1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Toni Morrison's "Beloved" pulled from class because of racism

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Freelance Hack, Mar 29, 2007.

  1. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Geez, Pastor. At least if Alma is threadjacking it's an interesting, educational threadjack.

    I disagree completely with Crane being hard to read. He is a much better writer than Hemingway and more accessible, and I like Hemingway.

    Faulkner is purposely hard to read and frustrating. But brilliant.
     
  2. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

     
  3. Pastor

    Pastor Active Member


    I don't disagree, but Alma's is arguing that the parents are correct in their decision to want the book banned from the curriculum for reasons that the parents aren't even using.

    If the parents had made the argument that the book isn't up the level or that there are better options for this subject matter, it would be one thing. However, none of the parents are even coming close to making that argument. They are using the tired and old "This book is too dirty."

    Not only do arguments like that make me cringe, but it makes me wonder if the parents allow their children to say the school principal's name outloud.
     
  4. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    I read As I Lay Dying for my AP class in high school. Fantastic book.
     
  5. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member



    He who must not be named!

    Maybe they should just read Harry Potter.

    Alma has an interesting take. I agree it's not one the parents are using. If I were the principal, I would let them finish that book and then consider whether it was the best choice in the future.
     
  6. Pastor

    Pastor Active Member



    "I'm calling the principal. What is his name?"
    "Sexton."
    "What did YOU JUST SAY??????!!!"
    "Sexton."
    "Go wash your mouth out with soap!"
     
  7. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    The "we didn't ban it, it's in the library" is the cop-out argument that educators use when they don't have the balls to stand up to these parents.

    Alma's argument lost a little steam when he dragged "Gravity's Rainbow" into the argument. It may be one of the most unreadable books published in the last 50 years--right up there with Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake".
     
  8. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    There is a difference between banning a book from a school and discontinuing its use in class. Saying a book is banned when its not is a gross use of hyperbole. Why drag out demigogugery when you can win on the merits.

    Beloved was a bad choice to be with, but the principal shouldn't have pulled it in the middle of the year.
     
  9. Pastor

    Pastor Active Member


    The book was banned from the curriculum. So, yes, it was banned. It just wasn't banned from their life.
     
  10. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    You're dealing in semantics. The book was banned from use in that class. The fact that it's available at the library is irrelevant to the situation.

    A small minority of parents had the book removed from classroom use. It that's not "banning" it, I don't know what is.

    The worst part of this is that it just encourages other semi-literate parents to do the same thing.
     
  11. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Agreed, it is a problem that so few parents were able to get a book pulled from that class. The fact that some of us find the book to be a bad choice for the course is irrelevant.

    I was kidding about banning earlier, because I don't like the book so far and I thought the references to cow fucking were a bit nasty. Seems a bit more powerful when you call it cow fucking rather than just bestiality, doesn't it?
     
  12. JackyJackBN

    JackyJackBN Guest

    Heading further out on a branch here. Not having read Beloved, I have to ask: There's "cow fucking" in Beloved? And if yes, does Morrison handle it like Faulkner, making it almost indecipherable what's going on in Isaac Snopes' mind, or is it right there? [And no, I'm not about to go read the damned thing so I can see how Morrison handles bestiality.]

    And yes, it does.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page