Loved the ATDOAPTI

What I wasn't expecting from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian was that I would love it so much. I thought maybe it would be another typical coming-of-age book with gross humor and some preachy moral, but instead it had an authentically "teen" voice but with the wisdom of an old soul, and I got the feeling that the author truly experienced the events portrayed. What I loved best was the fact that Junior, for all of his physical shortcomings and disadvantages, never felt sorry for himself. As a reader, I wanted to cry at times, but his reactions to tragedies, great and small showed his true character. With at least one parent an alcoholic, and his entire clan living in deep poverty, the love generated in that small family was so pure and genuine, and broke just about every stereotype of a dysfunctional family. Junior's tolerance of abuse by other children, and even his best friend Rowdy show his capacity to love. I thought the illustrations added so much to the story, showing how he and his friends and family would like to be portrayed, and how they actually were. Another aspect of Junior I really found charming was his humility. Obviously he was very bright and athletic, but never felt compelled to brag. I was happy that the white students at Reardon became so accepting of him. I found the acceptance of the minority by the majority, and the minorities struggle with his own race to be a novel take on racism. I would expect the follow-up novel to ATDOAPTI to show trials and tribulations, which we would expect, but Junior always dealing with the world from his own unique perspective.

Looking Back on Hine

I was wondering early on in the semester just why we were reading 'The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager" in a literature course. From my perspective, the book seemed more like a sociology text in that it dealt with teens throughout history and their changing roles in society. But as we began to cover more teen-themed novels, I felt as though Hine's book was an excellent way to set the stage for the study of the adolescent literature, especially since we covered material dating from the 18th century to the present day and since the "teen" has been interpreted and dealt with differently throughout the course of time. Throughout my adult life I've had a persistent fear of teenagers. Maybe because I was such a difficult one! Looking back now, it's hard to believe that wild and disagreeable creature was really me. If that's what I turned into, then what's going to happen to my soon-to-be-teen kids? And I wonder if I can navigate them through it? What I liked so much about the book were the interesting facts that dealt with the ever-changing perception of teens through history, such as the formation of the high school and why it came about. I guess, like anything that defies a concrete definition, there is a lot of room for interpretation as Hine shows. The study of the "American teen" is also interesting and portrays this group to be unique, unlike any other in the world, and discusses the factors that make it so. I liked the notion that the teen years, "have become defined not as an interlude but rather as something central to life, a period of preparation and self-definition, a period of indulgence and unfocused energy. This definition alone suggests ambivalence, and Hine throughout illustrates this fact. After taking this course I feel a little bit better prepared for the near future with my own two kids. I don't know if this knowledge will make it any easier, but at least I will have a fuller understanding of just what my kids are going through and maybe I'll be able to help them through this uncertain time in their lives.

Betsey Brown Thoughts

I would agree with the short review on the cover of Shange's book that calls the novel "exuberantly engaging!" I liked most of the novel very much. I feel that Shange has a knack for bringing characters and situations to life, so much so that at times I could almost smell Miss Carrie's cooking or Jane's exotic perfume. I think her descriptive language is so vivid and rich that it would be a rewarding undertaking for a filmmaker to bring this work to the big screen. I loved the characters, especially Miss Carrie and Vida who represent opposite ends of the black class spectrum during the late 1950's. The setting of the late 1950's is an interesting choice, since it is before the civil rights movement that the history books correspond to. There are many moments in the book where tension, or a gathering of momentum builds that helps to set the stage for the historic developments of the 1960's. What I didn't like about the book (page 90 to be exact) was the abrupt shift from the Regina/Roscoe romance to the topic of bussing. I kept wondering if maybe the book was missing a few pages that would have explained the transition. After that, each time the suggestion of racism or cultural differences was mentioned, it was almost as if Shange felt obligated to weave historical events into the story to give it merit. I think her storytelling was good enough that she didn't need to do that. Another troublesome aspect for me was the relationship between Jane and Greer. Their marriage did not seem at all realistic. Given the pressures of a large family and the difficult social climate, the two of them seemed to be on a never-ending honeymoon, at least until Jane left to 'find herself." Who has the luxury of doing that in real life? I'm guessing Shange doesn't have a house full of kids, because if she did, Jane and Greer would never have been carrying on the way they did -- sex before dinner, sex till the sun came up. In real life they'd probably be passed out in front of the t.v. by 9:00.

Research Paper Revised

After tossing a few ideas around for the research paper, I think I've finally settled on researching various black perspectives, past and present on Huckleberry Finn. I don't recall my own reaction, with respect to the issue of racial injustice the first time I read the novel. But this time I was wondering how my black classmates were viewing the work, in light of the fact that it's still required reading in most schools. I became interested in race relations when I lived in Los Angeles in the 1990's. At that time the Rodney King riots were happening very close to my home. This very tumultuous time in Los Angeles and in my life will forever be etched in my mind. I got to witness first-hand the tangible effects of racism. After reading the critical essays at the end of the novel, I realized that this was a topic that interested me. After reading Toni Morrison's piece and learning that James Baldwin, another author that I like, had also commented on the racial issues raised by the book, I thought I was bound to find some interesting perspectives, especially by writers, who can appreciate great writing, despite the overt discrimination. The books I have chosen: Satire or Evasion, James Baldwin's Another Country, and Black, White, and Huckleberry Finn will hopefully support my thesis that although offensive throughout, the novel and Twain deserve to be viewed as anti-slavery and anti-racist by various esteemed black authors to be a legitimate American classic. I may find the contrary to also be true. I'm anxious to see how these various authors feel about the novel, since I have great respect for them.