Perhaps one of the greatest writings of all time, in my humble opinion, is Dr. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The title inspired by the late Paul Dunbar’s[1] poem, Angelou illustrated her life in words for the masses to read. Of course, the book received a great deal of criticism and even continues to receive some today, in the 21st Century. Many will be surprised to learn that this title remains on the Banned Books List.
While the work does provide graphic references to some of Angelou’s tragic encounters, the book need not be challenged or banned. Rather, educators, parents, and the like, should monitor what age group is reading this book. Monitoring should be understood to mean nothing more than suggesting age appropriate books and addressing one’s maturity level. However, if the intended reader expresses a serious interest in the book, then they should be allowed to enjoy it. Perhaps the best thing teachers and parents can do at this point is to wait for the child to come to them with questions and concerns about the book and be willing to talk openly about the context.
It should be noted that a child of age 8 or through age 11 may not be mature enough to handle the material. However, most preteens and teenagers might be able to comprehend the themes and underlying message without being traumatized by the rape or other sexual references. I read this book in middle school, which means I was 13 years old or younger.
At any rate, censoring books should not be left to some group or even the government. Fortunately, we do have First Amendment rights. Nonetheless, people and groups alike will attempt to ban books[2]. Angelou’s autobiography is a work of art, continuing to remind us of the tragedies experienced by an individual, a race and a nation. Those who read this novel will be nothing more than enlightened and ideally empowered to transcend their own situations and change the world for the better.
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime . . . .”
— Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, dissenting Ginzberg v. United States, 383 U.S. 463 (1966While the work does provide graphic references to some of Angelou’s tragic encounters, the book need not be challenged or banned. Rather, educators, parents, and the like, should monitor what age group is reading this book. Monitoring should be understood to mean nothing more than suggesting age appropriate books and addressing one’s maturity level. However, if the intended reader expresses a serious interest in the book, then they should be allowed to enjoy it. Perhaps the best thing teachers and parents can do at this point is to wait for the child to come to them with questions and concerns about the book and be willing to talk openly about the context.
It should be noted that a child of age 8 or through age 11 may not be mature enough to handle the material. However, most preteens and teenagers might be able to comprehend the themes and underlying message without being traumatized by the rape or other sexual references. I read this book in middle school, which means I was 13 years old or younger.
At any rate, censoring books should not be left to some group or even the government. Fortunately, we do have First Amendment rights. Nonetheless, people and groups alike will attempt to ban books[2]. Angelou’s autobiography is a work of art, continuing to remind us of the tragedies experienced by an individual, a race and a nation. Those who read this novel will be nothing more than enlightened and ideally empowered to transcend their own situations and change the world for the better.
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime . . . .”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1] http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Dunbar-P
[2] http://web.archive.org/web/20030601211005/www.banned-books.com/bborgs.html
1 comment:
Thank you so much for this reminder! I've had "I Know Why the Cages Bird Sings" on my list of things to do for years now, and this is a perfect time for me to immerse myself in it.
Post a Comment