When I started reading Feed I was surprised. It is a very good book, but the language used in it was a little bit shocking. I found it very funny because I have never read a book it before. Then I starting thinking about this book in my classroom. Censorship was the first issue I thought of. This is ironic because I read Feed before reading the other articles for class. I can agree this book could fit a futuristic or technology theme, but I would have trouble explaining to parents why I think it is necessary for our class because of its inappropriate language. I liked this quote from Elizabeth Noll's The Ripple Effect of Censorship Silencing in the Classroom, "Teachers who seek out literature which instead explores multiple perspectives provide opportunities for their students to question status quo. In doing so these teachers also make themselves vulnerable to criticism and censorship" (63). This is what I am afraid of. I would like to choose books for my students that bring up topics and issues that should be discussed. To me, teachers are almost a second parent to students. They teach the "hidden curriculum" whether students are aware of it or not. This should not be avoided just because not everyone agrees with the method. For example, have you ever talked to your parents in a meaningful conversation about race or gender? This would be something you would have discussed in class while reading maybe To Kill a Mockingbird. Teachers use texts to bring up issues that need to be discussed, like I had mentioned, but with fear of losing their jobs these topics are now being avoided.
So, what am I supposed to learn from Feed you say? I learned that people are always trying to keep up with their neighbors. Violet though, chooses to live her life differently. She reads, writes, and experiences life on Earth. Her family only decides to buy her a feed in order to keep up with society and not be made fun of. The world is changing so quickly it is hard to keep up with what is "cool." After reading Feed I have come to the conclusion that relationships should be more important than what you have. It made me reconsider how much I work and why I work. I think hidden moral of Feed is to enjoy your life, but enjoy it with out expense. Happiness does not cost a thing. Spending time together is more important than spending money. I think even though Marty and some other guys in the book use fowl language that meaning is still clear. I actually thought some of the language may have been used to really show to what degree a character was upset or angry. The language adds to the story and meaning; it did not hinder it. Why can't parents and the administration see this?
I also was very surprised upon first reading Feed. I really enjoyed the book, but after reading the first sentence my reaction was “With this language, how would this ever be used in a classroom?” I know I never encountered a book such as this when I was in school. Then again, that might have been part of the reason as to why I found a lot of the reading that was done to be boring and uninteresting.
ReplyDeleteI also would be very hesitant to teach this book in my classroom because I don’t think that I would have a strong enough reasoning as to why I chose this book over another novel that talked about similar themes, with less inappropriate language. I think it is something that needs to be done though or else this cycle will continue on.
Though Feed had inappropriate language, its meaning was very important and students could learn a lot from it. Overall, I don’t think that a novel should be banned from a classroom just because of certain aspects of it. People need to look at the deeper meaning behind and see how much more students could gain from reading novels dealing with controversial issues. In the end it would help them to learn so much more, not hinder them as many believe.
Heather, I really enjoyed Feed as well. I think the book was really good and I was also a little bit overwhelemed by the elements that made up the book. I think it could definitely be used in a classroom and it has a lot of good values to teach to students. It is kind of scary how technological the world is getting and how we are always making something new and trying to be better then someone we know. Take the Ipod for example. We had the original Ipod, then the Ipod video, then the Nano, then the touch, then the phone. It is absolutely incredible and students should definitely be able to see beyond technology when they read Feed. It shows the importance of other things in the world and how the future of the world is going to be dictated by technology if people don't start to value other things. I like how you said teachers are like "second parents". This is true because you see your students every day and you make a big impact on them. It is our goal to try and teach them about the real world because we do care about them. However, it is so hard to do when what we teach is so scrutinized. I see why things are censored but I don't think they should be taken out of the classroom. Feed teaches a lot of lessons, it is a good book, and it something exciting for students to read.
ReplyDeleteWhen I had Intro to Lit with Shannon last year and read this book for the first time, I was extremely confused. I didn't know what I would learn from a book with that type of language. If I had that reaction, I can only imagine what parents and administrators would say. They are the ones that overreact if one line doesn't fit their standards. I absolutely loved the book, but I agree with you when you say that you would have a hard time expressing what students would learn from it. I believe it would be such a great read in the classroom and students would really enjoy it. As long as parents don't intervene and look past the language into the true meaning, it can be so successful in the classroom.
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