Skylar Mullikin College Preparatory English Comparison/Contrast Essay November 17, 2016
The Impact of Violent Reading Material On Today’s Youth
Young adults are being increasingly exposed to more violence in our culture. There are mixed opinions about whether limiting their exposure is safeguarding them or failing to prepare them for life in the real world. Today’s youth are bound to encounter difficult situations in the real world. It is the duty of parents and educators to adequately prepare them to respond appropriately to challenging situations. Literary critic Meghan Cox Gurdon and author Sherman Alexie have differing opinions regarding the best practices for exposing youth to violence. In Gurdon’s editorial “Darkness Too Visible” she asserts that violence in young adult literature is harmful to children by numbing their,” senses. In contrast, Alexie opines that exposing children to unpleasant aspects of the real world better prepares them to handle difficult situations they will inevitably face in the future in “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood.” In many ways, these articles are alike; however, audience, authors perspectives, and the tone that each author speaks are imbalanced. Gurdon highlights the hideous nature of young adult literature in order to justify her assertion that parents should limits their child’s exposure. Parents may not always think to pay attention to what their child is reading; they assume if a book was found in the school library it is suitable for children. According to Gurdon, literature often reflects back “hideously distorted portrayals of what life is” (Gurdon par. 5). “If a teen has been abused, the logic follows, reading about another teen experiencing abuse will be comforted. If a girl engages in self mutilation to relieve surging feelings of self-loathing, she will find succor in reading about another girl who cuts, mops up the blood with towels and eventually learns to manage her emotional turbulence without a knife” (Gurdon. par. 12). In response, Alexie points out that children cannot be saved from what has already happened and taking these books away from young adults would only shelter them from the real world. Alexie also points out that children who have already been through rough situations cannot always be saved and he uses himself as an example. Of course, during my childhood, would-be saviors tried to rescue my fellow tribal members. They wanted to rescue me. But, even then, I could only laugh at their platitudes. In those days, the cultural conservatives thought that KISS and Black Sabbath were going to impede my moral development. They wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer had already abused me. They wanted me to profess my love for God without considering that I was the child and grandchild of men and women who’d been sexually and physically abused by generations of clergy. What was my immature, childish response to those would-be saviors? “Wow, you are way, way too late.” (Alexie. par. 6) Utter hopelessness and dysfunctional youth, both of these phrases are terms that Gurdon used in her editorial in order to catch attention and to spike more concerns (Gurdon par. 8 and 9). Meanwhile, Alexie avoids the topic of putting books down and answers Gurdon with rhetorical questions such as “Does Gurdon honestly believe that a sexually explicit YA novel might somehow traumatize a teen mother? Does she believe that a YA novel about a murder and rape will shock a teenager whose life has been damaged by murder and rape? Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?” (Alexie par. 10). Gurdon points out the ugliness and all of the wrongs in books while using books as an example. On the other hand, Alexie tries to explain the beauty in young-adult books. Alexie points out how not all children can be saved when they are exposed to the world. Keeping teens away from this type of literature will only shelter them from the real world. Not all teens are drawn to dark topics, but if one is naturally attracted to depression and violence, this behavior could be encouraged. Children who have had a difficult past or are currently going through difficult situations oftentimes benefit from reading about others in similar circumstances by feeling connected to them. Gurdon, however, thinks that children live in an ugly world when it comes to their reading options and would love for them to come off the shelves to shelter teens. “I have yet to receive a letter from a child somehow debilitated by the domestic violence contained in my book. To the contrary, kids as young as ten have sent me autobiographical letters written in crayon, complete with drawings inspired by my book, that are just as dark, terrifying, and redemptive as anything I’ve ever read” (Alexie par. 7). “...books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care” (Gurdon. par. 13). Gurdon and Alexie have different points of views. Gurdon is saying that when teens read young adult literature, they are reading about darkness they have never been exposed to. Teens are reading about new idea’s and Gurdon is trying to reach out to strict parents to maybe shut it down or to reach awareness. Alexie points out that young-adult literature is, in ways, helpful.