When I taught the novel “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett, my vice principal worried.
In Chapter 24, a man exposed himself and she feared it was not appropriate for my high school seniors. Already well into the novel, we compromised. The class would skip chapter 24.
This was the only chapter all my students did read.
Banning had the opposite effect.
The kids wanted to know what happened. Same for other bannings.
During prohibition there was more drinking (and crime related to it) though there were women who protested that alcohol was evil.
Similarly now, a small, very loud minority is trying to force their ideals on all of us by banning books (opposing transgender care, limiting abortion access, etc.).
Sometimes, these stories are the only things our kids connect to. Maybe the loneliness the character feels or the difficulty they have finding themselves is more important than reading about a sexual encounter. Kids are curious and from statistics, many are in pain.
If a parent is worried about a book, read it with your child and open an honest discussion. It is an opportunity to know and help your child. Sometimes books are the only places kids find someone like them and connecting to your child’s loneliness is more valuable than a crusade to tell everyone else what can be read.
I often wonder, in the scheme of things, is this important? For me, I wish these zealous individuals would put their energy towards more long-lasting, urgent issues to solve air quality, pollution, hate, distrust. “The Help” taught my students a lot about the Civil Rights movement, the lives of the maids, and the injustices they endured. The overall lessons were far too valuable than to let a man’s penis interfere.
Patricia Becnel, Ogden
