'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison

[MSTarot]

Was doing a bit of website surfing tonight and hit on this book and the controversy that it's causing. Now I don't watch a lot of TV News, (other than the weather in the morning) most of it I've already heard about from people at work before I even get home. But this was new to me.

The Common Core?

Okay, I take it this is some kind of government backed reading program being sponsored across the country's school systems. Yes? No? Maybe?

Anyway, I read several posted paragraphs of the book in questing. Now you can't judge a book by just that but the fact we couldn't post what's in that book here is... telling.

So... since it's been out since 1970 has anyone here read it? Is it more than what the book banning crowd say it is?

I know that the list of books that some people want banned is huge. To some even Harry Potter is no better than Porn.

I'll have to give them that from what I read, this one should really be maybe more a college level than a high school level reading assignment. It's quite a bit graphic.


Is this all a 'Return to Puritan' level witch hunt?

Not having read more than a few paragraphs of this book I don't know and thought I would ask.

MST

 

[PennLady]

The Common Core website is here, and the Wikipedia page is here. I haven't seen much about them and don't know if they're being implemented in my school district, although I imagine they might be.

Wikipedia says:

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a U.S. education initiative that seeks to bring diverse state curricula into alignment with each other by following the principles of standards-based education reform. The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

I haven't read anything by Toni Morrison, which is an oversight I'd like to correct. I looked at the excerpt available on Amazon and although some of it was stark, and gross (I hate reading about vomit), it didn't seem that bad.

It's tough to know when to let kids read things, and I myself am not always sure how to handle it. My parents didn't tell me not to read things; if they did any kind of censorship, it was done subtly -- or I was oblivious, which is possible. I don't know what I would have thought if I'd had to read this in school.

I don't think this is any kind of return to a yesteryear campaign, except perhaps at a very low level. Every year someone wants something banned, because they don't want their kids exposed to it. Frankly, I think the kids have been exposed to more than the parents want to think.

 

[emap]

Most likely people are upset with the book because it has incest, abuse of a child, and says hey look at how fucked up we are since we want to be beautiful as seen by the majority. At least that is how it is described at Amazon.

 

[NekoParks]

The Bluest Eye is one of the most profound and brilliant books ever written in the latter 20th Century. This book changed my life. As a matter of fact, every Toni Morrison book that I have ever read profoundly changed the entire way that I viewed slavery and racism in American culture. Most Americans (at least White Americans) really can't take the truth of how much genocide exists in American history, and the older I get the less sympathy I have for most white Americans and the lies they tell themselves and their children in order to sleep at night. Toni Morrison holds up a mirror to American society and demands that the reader has the courage to face the inherent mendacity of that lies at the heart of our American history and culture. By the way, Morrison is one of the few American writers that has won a Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. I recommend reading not only The Bluest Eye but Beloved also.

I am constantly amused by all of the protecting of children from reading banned books when most video games, movies, and TV show are more damaging to our children than a well-crafted piece of literature. Besides most children--and adults-- don't read books any longer.

 

[emap]

Neko pay more attention, video games have been shown to not conclusively contribute toward making children violent. Same thing with TV, books on the other hand are not researched and oh my god little billy is reading a book that has sex and violence in it he will go on a killing spree now.

Same hysteria happened to D&D, blew over and everybody went god those fucking morons even though the people saying that believed it by and large when it was popular to think.

 

[patientlee]

The only Toni Morrison I have read is Song of Solomon. I did not enjoy it, but I wonder if I was too young when I read it.

Common Core sounds good on paper. If every student in the US learns the same material, that's a good thing, right?

We've made a lot of curriculum changes to "align to the Common Core Standards". I'm sure some are good, but there are only so many hours in a day, and what gets sacrificed for the extra classes in tested areas? Something that isn't on the test- music, arts, foreign language, fiction in literature classes (lots of nonfiction on those state tests).

As a teacher, I haven't decided what my true opinion of CC is, mostly because my opinion doesn't matter. I "aligned my courses to The Common Core" two years ago, and now I just carry on.

As a parent, I hate it. CC has sucked the richness out of education. Instead of manipulatives, they have test-prep workbooks. Instead of computer class, they have test-prep.

Anyway, maybe I didn't give Toni Morrison a fair chance. Maybe I'll try again.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The only Toni Morrison I have read is Song of Solomon. I did not enjoy it, but I wonder if I was too young when I read it.

Common Core sounds good on paper. If every student in the US learns the same material, that's a good thing, right?

We've made a lot of curriculum changes to "align to the Common Core Standards". I'm sure some are good, but there are only so many hours in a day, and what gets sacrificed for the extra classes in tested areas? Something that isn't on the test- music, arts, foreign language, fiction in literature classes (lots of nonfiction on those state tests).

As a teacher, I haven't decided what my true opinion of CC is, mostly because my opinion doesn't matter. I "aligned my courses to The Common Core" two years ago, and now I just carry on.

As a parent, I hate it. CC has sucked the richness out of education. Instead of manipulatives, they have test-prep workbooks. Instead of computer class, they have test-prep.

Anyway, maybe I didn't give Toni Morrison a fair chance. Maybe I'll try again.

I've never read a word Toni Morrison penned, and I don't expect to. Her political convictions annoy me. She ordained Bill Clinton the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT then took it back when Barack Obama came along. She's swept along by her excitement rather than a solid epistemology.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I read the Bluest Eye back in early high school. I read it three times.

I love the book, but I can see why some people tried to ban it. I'm against censorship, but there are a lot of frightening/'inappropriate' moments in the book.

A very young (10 or 11) boy is having sex with a girl he met at a party, and two white hunters find them in the woods and force them to keep going while pointing a rifle at them, calling them 'niggerbaby'

Part of the story is written from the point of view of an old man who abused local girls, inviting them into his house and giving them mints and ice cream to keep quiet about it.

It describes a woman who takes no pleasure in sex with her husband, but who can reach an orgasm because of the cat purring in her lap.

And her son kills that cat by grabbing it by the tail and whipping it around his head.


Not to mention the other stuff I can't remember anymore. The scenes I remember most are the ones with soaphead (the dirty old man) and the conflict when the main character (a little girl who wants to be pretty by having blue eyes) is in the house of that sadistic cat-killer and his mother. It's a scene with a lot of internalized racism and hatred and jealousy.

 

[MSTarot]

I am constantly amused by all of the protecting of children from reading banned books when most video games, movies, and TV show are more damaging to our children than a well-crafted piece of literature. Besides most children--and adults-- don't read books any longer.

One of the things that seem to amuse me less and less the older I get is the definition of a 'child'

The story that got me looking into this was about a mother discovering this story in her 16 year olds Literature book. She was shocked that this sexually graphic of a story was in her child's school book.

I don't see a 16 year old as a child. To me that's a young adult. Now maturity varies from person to person so he may not be as adult as others but at sixteen he not a child.

At sixteen he's legally allowed to get behind the wheel of a 2000 pound vehicle and put it on the interstate highways at 70 miles per hour. He damn well better not be a 'child'. He's two years away from being able to be called to go fight for his country. He should be two years away from being able to drink but that law got changed.

By that age he's most likely smoked at least cigarettes if not pot, drank himself drunk at least once, seen a lot of porn, and possibly had sex ( if not he's trying for it will all his might). These are adult like behaviors and if he commits a crime he can certainly be charged as an adult.

So not a child.

That being said should his school be giving him a story like this to read? Again I don't really know about 'The Bluest eye' in particular as I haven't read the book but it's not the age of the 'child' that I take so much issue with.

It's the fact that his schools not... oh what is it I'm trying to say here? Damn it it's too early and I haven't had enough coffee yet.

A parent takes their 'child' to the government and goes "You make laws that say I have to let you teach my 'child' so here he/she is teach them"

The government goes "Okay."

Now the government doesn't need a country of geniuses it need tax paying workers so it sets a standard teaching system to level every 'child' to a standard of intelligence and hopes that the 'cream' will float to the top and give us the Einstein of our generation.

In that teaching system it assigns a book that a lot of people don't like but a few love for the profound affect it had when they read it. (Yes Neko I'm going to quote you shamelessly). It maybe a wonderful book but a lot of parents don't want their 'child' to be reading it because they think their son or daughter is innocent and doesn't need to be exposed to that sort of thing yet.

As patientlee said her opinion as a teacher doesn't matter. The parent's opinion doesn't seem to matter. The 'child's' opinion doesn't matter he's got to read it to get his grade. So the only opinion being listened to is coming from the people backing this teaching system?

That's a hell of away to run a railroad.

 

[MSTarot]

I read the Bluest Eye back in early high school. I read it three times.

I love the book, but I can see why some people tried to ban it. I'm against censorship, but there are a lot of frightening/'inappropriate' moments in the book.

A very young (10 or 11) boy is having sex with a girl he met at a party, and two white hunters find them in the woods and force them to keep going while pointing a rifle at them, calling them 'niggerbaby'

Part of the story is written from the point of view of an old man who abused local girls, inviting them into his house and giving them mints and ice cream to keep quiet about it.

It describes a woman who takes no pleasure in sex with her husband, but who can reach an orgasm because of the cat purring in her lap.

And her son kills that cat by grabbing it by the tail and whipping it around his head.


Not to mention the other stuff I can't remember anymore. The scenes I remember most are the ones with soaphead (the dirty old man) and the conflict when the main character (a little girl who wants to be pretty by having blue eyes) is in the house of that sadistic cat-killer and his mother. It's a scene with a lot of internalized racism and hatred and jealousy.

Okay... I can see I'm going to have to find a copy of this book. I like tension in a story.

Been trying to get time to read a story call 'Five smooth stones' It's a good one but I can't get the time to just lay on the couch and read it through.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Common Core...didn't a parent get arrested for wanting to ask a question at one of those school meeting about Common Core?

It looks as though the charges were dropped, but he never got his question answered.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/23/maryland-police-to-review-arrest-parent-who-objected-to-common-core/

 

[glynndah]

Okay... I can see I'm going to have to find a copy of this book. I like tension in a story.

Been trying to get time to read a story call 'Five smooth stones' It's a good one but I can't get the time to just lay on the couch and read it through.

Five Smooth Stones was my very first official foray into the "adult" section of my local public library. I was supposed to have had a permission slip signed to be able to check out adult books. It wasn't until this book crossed her desk that the librarian realized she didn't have that piece of paper. Since I'd been reading those books for about two years, she waived the requirement. I was thirteen.

 

[patientlee]

My personal opinion of "book banning" in schools is that there are a whole lot of very good choices out there that reach the same objectives. In this day and age, it seems more prudent to choose less controversial books for inclusion in a curriculum. It doesn't have to be a highly publicized "ban" to simply choose a different novel at a curriculum meeting. It's not like there are only 10 or 12 good books to choose from.

When I see school boards, administrators, teachers, and parents in a public battle over excluding a particular book from the curriculum, I always wonder which player is trying to make a name for himself/herself.

Banning books from a library is a different story. (Although, I don't think that a school library has an obligation to have controversial books on the shelves, especially in communities with public libraries.)

JMHO.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I'm all for dissections and autopsies of life. You can get the info reading about it or Hitler can home deliver it for your convenience.

On the other hand I feel no impulse to toss folks to the lions just because it makes a swell Bible story and scene from GLADIATOR.

 

[MSTarot]

On the other hand I feel no impulse to toss folks to the lions just because it makes a swell Bible story and scene from GLADIATOR.

WHAT! Damn it all JBJ but we're hungry!

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liuhiprGQe1qi4ucgo1_400.jpg

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

WHAT! Damn it all JBJ but we're hungry!

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liuhiprGQe1qi4ucgo1_400.jpg

Youre hardcore.

 

[glynndah]

My personal opinion of "book banning" in schools is that there are a whole lot of very good choices out there that reach the same objectives. In this day and age, it seems more prudent to choose less controversial books for inclusion in a curriculum. It doesn't have to be a highly publicized "ban" to simply choose a different novel at a curriculum meeting. It's not like there are only 10 or 12 good books to choose from.

When I see school boards, administrators, teachers, and parents in a public battle over excluding a particular book from the curriculum, I always wonder which player is trying to make a name for himself/herself.

Banning books from a library is a different story. (Although, I don't think that a school library has an obligation to have controversial books on the shelves, especially in communities with public libraries.)

JMHO.

I'm the library lady for a small rural grade school. I have absolutely NO budget, so I personally buy all the new books for the library. I try to "sneak" as many of the banned books on my shelves as I can. Since I have really no oversight, that's not too tough.

 

[MSTarot]

I'm the library lady for a small rural grade school. Since I have really no oversight, that's not too tough.

Uh Oh... who's a naughty witch?

You better get your bubble ready, Glynndah. When they find out it will be torch and pitchfork time.

 

[The_Misplaced_Gypsy]

Youre hardcore.

Now you see what I have to put up with on a daily basis..

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Now you see what I have to put up with on a daily basis..

I feel your pain.

You never know whether to smile sourly or hang yourself, huh?

 

[glynndah]

Uh Oh... who's a naughty witch?

You better get your bubble ready, Glynndah. When they find out it will be torch and pitchfork time.

Oh, I won't need torches and pitchforks. I have my own ways of dealing with riled up villagers.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Oh, I won't need torches and pitchforks. I have my own ways of dealing with riled up villagers.

Mmm, frog's legs.

 

[glynndah]

Mmm, frog's legs.

Good idea. I'll add that to my list.

 

[MSTarot]

Oh, I won't need torches and pitchforks. I have my own ways of dealing with riled up villagers.

No, I meant they would be coming after you with torches and pitchforks:

Although killer frogs legs would be a good deterrent

 

[danger2no]

Most likely people are upset with the book because it has incest, abuse of a child, and says hey look at how fucked up we are since we want to be beautiful as seen by the majority. At least that is how it is described at Amazon.

You are quoting an Amazon review instead of reading the book yourself? Seriously? You are a fucking idiot.

Neko pay more attention, video games have been shown to not conclusively contribute toward making children violent. Same thing with TV, books on the other hand are not researched and oh my god little billy is reading a book that has sex and violence in it he will go on a killing spree now.

Same hysteria happened to D&D, blew over and everybody went god those fucking morons even though the people saying that believed it by and large when it was popular to think.

You are telling the poster who wrote a coherent and thoughtful response to pay attention. I think Neko was being sarcastic. Apparently irony is lost on you.

It's not any art form that is corrupting our children....it's the lives they are leading.

Also, you really have got to learn how to use punctuation correctly, or maybe you are typing all your responses on your phone with your toes?

See...I used "rolled eyes" so you could tell I was being sarcastic.