Another book bites the dust

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

I guess my language litmus test goes back to the old standards of "polite society." If the language would make people uncomfortable, it's not language to use in public. Reading it by checking a book out of the library is one thing; being assigned to read it or having it foisted upon you in class by oral readings is another. School is a place I would expect to have some standards, at least until college. And no, I'm not revisiting the whole Winter Holiday Concert debate, I'm just sticking with the book/language issue.

[anderclayton]

pippadaisy said

I personally think the whole thing is a bunch of bunk. At what point did our society become so PC that absolutely everything from "Winter Concerts" to books has to be put through the test of making sure NO ONE is offended?

At what point does it stop? After we've banned everything from Huckleberry Finn to Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Erm. Slippery slope is a bad idea with this one at least. The trend really isn't for excluding things right now. It is pretty much the opposite.

The other side might ask "At what point does it stop? After we've included everything up from porn magazines to hard core snuff films?" The particular work sounds like it is definitely pushing the envelope in the "what can we do" side of things to be included.

There still is some sort of language guidelines in high school (you can get in trouble for swearing) so this isn't really out of place to not have this sort of language included in the curriculum.

Personally it is kinda more of a toss up for me. A problem with encouraging this sort of language is that it really doesn't lead to better use of language. Like I said, I didn't swear much until I joined the Navy but after that my spoken language degenerated pretty quickly for those years (and still does when I hang with people who were in the services).

An argument that everyone says stuff like this doesn't fly for me. My friends and I didn't use this sort of language (ten or so years ago granted but...) and I'd guess that it isn't as widespread in use as a statement like that would lead you to believe.

On the other hand, I'm not the biggest fan of censorship. To some degree I don't see the point.

On the other other hand I haven't read the book so I have no real idea what it is like.

I'd say that there is definitely a degree where I'd rather kids (including older kids) avoid sketchy materials and having the stuff required reading in schools really is rather much. Forcing kids to say the stuff is even worse.
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To address the question (number two) with a book that I have read though, I'd say that if I teacher required Fear of Flying by Erica Jong to be part of an assignment in school I'd object.

Ander

[drmomentum[$]]

realtraveller said

In school, yes, you can tell them their language is incorrect. It's called education.

My comment you quote was about rap music, not school. That was the point of me earlier saying my comments were "far afield." You were characterizing certain words as lazy writing, and I was revealing that conclusion as lazy. I followed that down to the end then returned to the subject.

If you're going to switch to discussing grammar, please don't quote me as a lead in. Unless you want to critique my grammar which is, admittedly, less than stellar.

-JP

[pippadaisy[$]]

The point is that it's a book about boys in a juvenile detention center. Is it realistic to have that book without cursing? Girl, Interrupted had its fair share of swearing as well. Books like these are going to be much more easy for kids to relate to than yet another run-through of Great Expectations.