Today's guest blogger is Carmelita Seufert. Carmelita is a teacher in a New York high school. She is currently in the middle of a rather precarious book banning situation at her high school. We are happy to welcome Carmelita to WORD as she shares her thoughts on Grendel. |
Many years ago, as a student, I never thought about how or why my English teachers chose the books they taught. I just read what I was given and decided if I liked it or not.
It never occurred to me that deciding which books to teach, getting them approved, and actually keeping them in the curriculum can sometimes be quite an ordeal.
Today, the roles are reversed and I am the teacher. Things are pretty different.
Right now, the English department at my high school is being challenged by some parents. They don’t want us to teach Grendel, by John Gardner—a book I’m teaching to my 9th grade Honors English class.
Grendel is a book about the monster and arch nemesis of Beowulf, the hero of the classic Anglo-Saxon poem of the same name. In Gardner’s book, he allows the readers to question Grendel’s motives and decide whether he truly is the evil monster he is made out to be.
The parents who are challenging our decision to teach the book are deeply committed to the belief that there is already enough "evil" in the world and their children should be reading only "uplifting" materials.
I disagree. The world is made up of both good and evil and for students to decide where they stand, they must first explore the nature of good and evil, argue about it, change their minds a few times, and then come to a decision. Frankly, I think this frightens some parents because many would like their children to simply believe what they believe and value what they value—but this simply cannot be. It is human nature to question.
Despite its graphic imagery and language and the presence of evil, I believe that Grendel is an excellent book to teach on many levels. It lends itself to deep character analysis as well as literary devices such as motif, tone, and imagery.
Fortunately, I’m not fighting this battle alone.
Right now, my English department is in the middle of what we are calling The Great Grendel Debacle. We have enlisted aid from the American Library Association in our fight to keep this book. We are gathering evidence from other districts that may have fought a challenge on Grendel and won, plus letters and testimonies from parents who have read this book and support it. Our biggest fear is that if the ban on this book goes through, it will only lead to banning more "controversial" books we teach, such as Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Elie Wiesel’s Night, and J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, all of which have been challenged. More banned books.
It’s going to be a long struggle, I suspect, but at least I’m not alone. Each year, individuals and groups challenge hundreds of books—and each year, the American Library Association, along with individuals and groups counter these challenges by turning to the First Amendment for support. I just hope that we don’t have to wait till Banned Books Week to get my answer.
What do you think? Have you ever been told you couldn’t read a certain book? Why? How did you handle it?
