This course has really opened my eye's to many different issues of diversity. If I hadn't had taken this course I would still be thinking about issues of diversity in a way that isn't right. The first issue that was brought up in the class was the issue of insider and outsider writers. I had never taken into consideration before this course that it mattered. While choosing literature to read about a certain group for myself I never bothered to look to see if the author was an insider or was knowledgable. I just looked at the book and believed to an extent that the writer knew what he or she was talking about. Now I understand the importance for texts to be written by an insider or someone knowledgable about the group so that stereotypes and misconceptions can be prevented in writing.
This course has really opened my eyes to the effects of literature that I used to think of as diverse actually being hurtful to the people depicted in the stories. I understand now how important it is to make sure when you're writing or picking out literature for a classroom to consider if the text if offensive. A way to do this is to research the topic and the author to make sure that the author is an insider or is informed. This will help to prevent possible problems with teaching a book. It is imposibble to write a book that has no stereotypes or misconceptions about a people, but writers should try as hard as they can.
Before this course I thought that diverse literature was literature about different ethinic groups of people. I was partially right except its a lot more involved. The literature needs to be an accurate representation of those peoples portyrayed. Insider writers and writers that had researched the topic were usually better representations of the peoples in the stories. Also, I didn't realize that GBLTQ literature was considered diverse literature and that there was such an array of diverse books out there for GBLTQ readers. I hope that when I am a teacher I can bring diverse literature into my classroom and be able to successfully teach my students. I hope to help promote understanding and accecptance for all people.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Text Set Reflection
The books I collected were, The Castle on Hester Street, Rebecca’s Journey Home, A Mezuzah on the Door and Witness . All these stories depicted characters and issues important within the Jewish faith. Overall, the authors depicted stories about Jewish issues and concerns at different times in our history. The common theme of family and friendship ties this text set together.
The theme of family and friendships occurred in Rebecca’s Journey Home, The Castle on Hester Street and A Mezuzah on the Door. These books center on the importance of friends and family in different ways. In Rebecca’s Journey Home, the importance of acceptance of a new family member is stressed in that book. In The Castle on Hester Street, the importance of love of your grandparents and your heritage is involved in this book. In A Mezuzah on the Door, the lesson is learned that your friends and family are always close to your heart even if they are really far away. Witness was the only book in my collection whose main theme did not appear to be friends and family.
From this set of texts the reader can better understand the Jewish culture and relate that culture to their own lives. The reader, if not Jewish could learn about Jewish traditions and their meanings. This could promote more understanding for the Jewish religion from people of other religions. It’s important for children to be exposed to diverse literature, like Jewish literature, at a young age to prevent stereotyping and to promote understanding and acceptance of all people.
The theme of family and friendships occurred in Rebecca’s Journey Home, The Castle on Hester Street and A Mezuzah on the Door. These books center on the importance of friends and family in different ways. In Rebecca’s Journey Home, the importance of acceptance of a new family member is stressed in that book. In The Castle on Hester Street, the importance of love of your grandparents and your heritage is involved in this book. In A Mezuzah on the Door, the lesson is learned that your friends and family are always close to your heart even if they are really far away. Witness was the only book in my collection whose main theme did not appear to be friends and family.
From this set of texts the reader can better understand the Jewish culture and relate that culture to their own lives. The reader, if not Jewish could learn about Jewish traditions and their meanings. This could promote more understanding for the Jewish religion from people of other religions. It’s important for children to be exposed to diverse literature, like Jewish literature, at a young age to prevent stereotyping and to promote understanding and acceptance of all people.
Critical Resource
Feminism and point of view in Karne Hesse’s Stowaway and Witness By Wendy Glenn
Glenn, Wendy. "Consider the Source: Feminism and point of view in Karen Hessse's Stowaway and Witness." BNET.com. Winter 2003. ALAN Review. 22 Apr 2008.
Glenn’s review of Karen Hesse’s novel Witness focused on the themes of feminism and points of view, rather than religion. According to Glenn, “this novel continues to question patriarchy, it distinguishes itself from other works in her body of fiction in the use of point of view other that that of the first-person female protagonist” (Glenn). She describes how Hesse explores gender issues but also provides a look at patriarchal culture from multiple points of view. This critic feels that this aspect strengthens the feminist pulse that beats in Hesse’s earlier works.
She believes that feminism is portrayed because the women appear to be the stronger characters, while the men are portrayed as weaker. “The men fall prey to the Klan’s rhetoric, believing involvement will help them to garner or maintain power”(Glenn). The women disagree with the KKK from the beginning of the novel while many of the male characters are still thinking about it as a possibility. “ The novel’s women, however, see through this rhetoric and stand against the values of the Klan. Not a single female character in Witness chooses to associate with the Klan; each seems to discern and reject the deceptive tactics used by the group to recruit members”(Glenn). This is representative of the feminist thought. The women in the novel don’t have the same rights as the men, but they do understand the difference between right and wrong. By showing the female view points the reader sees that women are strong and have opinions. This book empowers women from different races and cultures, through a story about women who stand up to the KKK when their male counterparts don’t.
Upon reflection I realized that the themes of feminism is a more relevant theme than religion as Glenn suggests. The diversity in Hesse’s novel are important because the author is trying to empower all women. The author of this resource admits that Hesse took a risk in straying from her typical first person, female protagonist that she has had in her other novels. By having an array of characters, they serve as her voice box allowed her to get her message in this book across without stating her opinion (Glenn).
Glenn, Wendy. "Consider the Source: Feminism and point of view in Karen Hessse's Stowaway and Witness." BNET.com. Winter 2003. ALAN Review. 22 Apr 2008
Glenn’s review of Karen Hesse’s novel Witness focused on the themes of feminism and points of view, rather than religion. According to Glenn, “this novel continues to question patriarchy, it distinguishes itself from other works in her body of fiction in the use of point of view other that that of the first-person female protagonist” (Glenn). She describes how Hesse explores gender issues but also provides a look at patriarchal culture from multiple points of view. This critic feels that this aspect strengthens the feminist pulse that beats in Hesse’s earlier works.
She believes that feminism is portrayed because the women appear to be the stronger characters, while the men are portrayed as weaker. “The men fall prey to the Klan’s rhetoric, believing involvement will help them to garner or maintain power”(Glenn). The women disagree with the KKK from the beginning of the novel while many of the male characters are still thinking about it as a possibility. “ The novel’s women, however, see through this rhetoric and stand against the values of the Klan. Not a single female character in Witness chooses to associate with the Klan; each seems to discern and reject the deceptive tactics used by the group to recruit members”(Glenn). This is representative of the feminist thought. The women in the novel don’t have the same rights as the men, but they do understand the difference between right and wrong. By showing the female view points the reader sees that women are strong and have opinions. This book empowers women from different races and cultures, through a story about women who stand up to the KKK when their male counterparts don’t.
Upon reflection I realized that the themes of feminism is a more relevant theme than religion as Glenn suggests. The diversity in Hesse’s novel are important because the author is trying to empower all women. The author of this resource admits that Hesse took a risk in straying from her typical first person, female protagonist that she has had in her other novels. By having an array of characters, they serve as her voice box allowed her to get her message in this book across without stating her opinion (Glenn).
Witness
by Karen Hesse
(Hesse, Karen. Witness. New York: Scholastic Apple Paperbacks, 2001.)
Witness by Karen Hesse, describes a town that kicks out the Ku Klux Klan after a number of mishaps with the townspeople. This book follows three children and eight adults that live in this town. Each is affected in their own way by the KKK. Ester, a six year old Jewish girl, and her friend, Leanora, an African American 12 year old feel the least safe in this town. This book is organized into five acts and can be performed. Each person in the act has a free verse that they speak. Each character has a specific way of talking which allows the characters to come alive. The reader is able to get the views of different characters in less pages because each character speaks as the story unfolds.
The author of this novel is Jewish but doesn’t include any Jewish traditions in the novel at all. While, two of the characters are Jewish, and are harassed by the KKK , the main theme is not centered on being Jewish. Positive Jewish content is limited in this book. Most references to Judaism occur in a negative or labeling way. This book tells a great story, its not a story to help the reader deepen their understanding of the Jewish faith.
(Hesse, Karen. Witness. New York: Scholastic Apple Paperbacks, 2001.)
Witness by Karen Hesse, describes a town that kicks out the Ku Klux Klan after a number of mishaps with the townspeople. This book follows three children and eight adults that live in this town. Each is affected in their own way by the KKK. Ester, a six year old Jewish girl, and her friend, Leanora, an African American 12 year old feel the least safe in this town. This book is organized into five acts and can be performed. Each person in the act has a free verse that they speak. Each character has a specific way of talking which allows the characters to come alive. The reader is able to get the views of different characters in less pages because each character speaks as the story unfolds.
The author of this novel is Jewish but doesn’t include any Jewish traditions in the novel at all. While, two of the characters are Jewish, and are harassed by the KKK , the main theme is not centered on being Jewish. Positive Jewish content is limited in this book. Most references to Judaism occur in a negative or labeling way. This book tells a great story, its not a story to help the reader deepen their understanding of the Jewish faith.
A Mezuzah on the Door
A Mezuzah on the Door
By: Amy Meltzer and Illustrations by Janice Fried
(Meltzer, Amy. A Mezuzah on the Door. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2007.)
A Mezuzah on the Door is a story about moving away to a new home and missing familiar people and the little things that make a home. Noah is a young Jewish boy who learns about the comforts of friendship even when friends are far away. The family celebrates a Hanukkat Habayit to celebrate their new home that they recently moved into. They invite all their new and old friends to come and celebrate by placing the Mezuzah on the door to the house and on all the doors to their rooms. After the Hanukkat Habayit, Noah is able to sleep in his new house not feel lonely.
By: Amy Meltzer and Illustrations by Janice Fried
(Meltzer, Amy. A Mezuzah on the Door. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2007.)
A Mezuzah on the Door is a story about moving away to a new home and missing familiar people and the little things that make a home. Noah is a young Jewish boy who learns about the comforts of friendship even when friends are far away. The family celebrates a Hanukkat Habayit to celebrate their new home that they recently moved into. They invite all their new and old friends to come and celebrate by placing the Mezuzah on the door to the house and on all the doors to their rooms. After the Hanukkat Habayit, Noah is able to sleep in his new house not feel lonely.
Meltzers book centers on the Jewish tradition of dedicating a new house. The reader gains knowledge on how to perform this ritual as well as what it means for Jewish people. This book enlightens a non Jewish reader on this very special tradition and provides insight into its purpose.
People of all religions can relate to Noah’s experience of moving to a new home. People move all the time and struggle with missing their old home. The underlying theme in this book is that even though someone moves away, people close to them are always close to their heart and won’t be forgotten. Diversity is limited in this story because there are no non Jewish characters.
The Castle on Hester Street
(Heller, Linda. The Castle on Hester Street. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1982.)
The Castle on Hester Street follows the story of a young Jewish girl listening to her grandparents explain how they arrived in America from Russia. Julie’s grandfather tells an elaborate, over the top depiction of their voyage to American and life once here. Her grandmother keeps her grandfather grounded by explaining how it really was to arrive in New York City as an immigrant.
The illustrations in the grandfather’s depiction of the events were bright and exciting, while her grandmothers depictions were gloomier. Heller leaves the reader wondering whose depiction is correct. This story includes aspects of the Jewish faith in subtle doses. People that are not Jewish could easily relate to this book because many immigrant families went through the same hard times to survive as the characters in this book. It gives insight into the struggles not only of the Jewish immigrants, but what immigrants from all backgrounds faced while coming to America during the 1920s and 1930s.
Heller’s, Sydney Taylor book Award winner, tells the story about Jewish people from Russia where they left because they were being persecuted and attacked. He does not depict Jewish people in a negative or overly positive way. It just shows that this family is just like any other immigrant family struggling to survive so that future generations can live a better life.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Boy Meets Boy
Boy meets Boy was the first GBLTQ text that I have read. At first I was a little shocked by how open the author was about the main characters sexuality right from the beginning. While reading this novel I thought that the number of gay characters was out of proportion from any high schools that I have ever heard of. In my high school there were some openly Gay, bisexual and Lesbian students but not as many as were open about it with functioning relationships. I think that the portrayal isn't the most accurate in terms of the amount of GBLTQ students at that one school. Another aspect of the book that I found to seem inaccurate is the author didn't show any of the hardships that the students went through, like being teased or questioning their self worth. I am not gay but i would think if I was in high school I would have a tough time coming out to my friends and parents. In this book the main characters were open with the entire school and their family and almost everyone was accepting of their relationships. I think that in real life its much harder for a GBLTQ to come out and not be affected by other people judging them. The aspect of the novel that I found to be successful was how the novel showed emotional relationships the characters shared rather than physical. Sometimes in gay novels, emotional relationships aren't developed and the characters are just expressing themselves sexually. This novel could be used as a gateway for straight people to understand that gay people share the same feelings that they do for other people. This novel could also show gay people that there is a chance to have great relationships and there is hope for a future without prejudices.
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