Did you know that Little House on the Prairie was banned? As I said in Wednesday's post, Laura Ingalls Wilder sometimes portrayed American Indians in ways that today would be considered racist. For this reason, Little House on the Prairie was banned from some classrooms.
Although racism in all its forms is always troubling, I don't think this is a reason not to read the Little House books or any other controversial works. Scroll past the picture for more of my opinion, with two helpful articles.
| Not sure if I totally agree with this popular library slogan, but it's relevant to today's topic of banned books. |
Here's an article that I think does a good job of addressing potential concerns about racism in the Little House books. A couple of my favorite soundbites:
To me, the different points of view – Mrs. Scott’s hatred of Native Americans, Ma Ingalls’ fear, Laura’s childish fascination with them , and Pa’s respect – combine to represent a vivid picture of pioneer life.
...
I believe that when literature portrays ideas that we now consider wrong, ignorant, or just out-dated, we should use it as a teachable moment. Don’t erase it; talk about it.
Here's an in-depth scholarly article that further investigates this touchy subject. (I only scanned the beginning of the article, just so y'all know.)
What's your opinion on this controversial topic?
Elizabeth
No comments:
Post a Comment