When I picked up Monster to start reading, I thought that if I could at least finish half at that time I would be good. I completed the whole novel in about two hours, and from how it sounds, I'm not the only one. I thought this novel was an extremely easy read (after I got into it). I have to admit that, at first, it was hard reading in the form of a screen play, but once I was use to it, I was fine.
I thought this novel brought up some interesting aspects of right and wrong and the fine line that goes with them. It deals with racial issues, involving young black males and a young mexican male. It's ironic to me that none of the men involved in the crime were white (if I am remembering correctly. I'm not sure). This could be a good topic brought up about this novel if this were the case, though.
As far as teaching this novel, I believe that it would be challenging because it does deal with racial issues. However, I believe that it could be taught as long as I, the teacher, let out my own personal opinion about the situations going on, much like Hade said in his article. We need to let students develop their own ideas about this.
I thought Hade brought up some good points about multiculturalism. It is something that is very important that should be taught to students. America is no longer made up of predominately white people. There are more cultures in our country now than ever and it is important for students to know this and understand this. Even though it was at a college level, I took a class on African Literature, and it was one of the most interesting classes I had. Reading novels written from another culture showed me a different side of literature that I hadn't thought of before.
Although we don't have to actually teach African written novels, I believe that there is an important place for all cultures and "races" in a classroom.
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I would say that America never was made up of predominately "white" people. "Whiteness" and white privilege are topics that students should be asked to consider just as critically as they might consider cultural minorities. Again, as Trites suggests, it goes back to systems of power. Who has the power? Who does not?
ReplyDeleteI think it could arise some problems when trying to teach it, but I really don't think that many. It is weird that no whites are involved in the crime, but I really don't see it THAT much of a racial problem. I see it as a right vs wrong, whose telling the truth whose not type deal.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, in what ways do you think the novel would be "challenging" to teach because of it's racial content?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights! I think books like this are extra important because we often don't think about how "un-white" our country has always been. English-speaking white dudes weren't the first ones here, yet everyone is surprised that we are seeing more and more culturally diverse people in the country.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what those people would do if they realized that Jesus wasn't white?