Of Mice and Men: Blasphemous.

I should really create a separate category to track the challenges to this book.

Of Mice and Men is currently undergoing a challenge at Newton Senior High in Iowa.  The first article I read had me a bit confused.  The father of the offended student is quoted as saying:

"It's more about my son's beliefs. He has aspirations of going into the ministry," Mapes said. "Clearly, the book offends his sense of decency. In his view, it is blasphemous. It certainly goes against the religious convictions that he has. We simply had asked for alternative reading."

It doesn't really sound news-worthy, right?  It sounds like the kid just wants, personally, to read a different book.  Skipping out on the Steinbeck would just be his loss.

But as a challenge committee has been formed, and as the Mapes team has also asked the school to reconsider use of Slaughterhouse-Five (nice timing, right?), I can only assume that they have asked for the books to be pulled from the curriculum, period.

I think this kid has a hard road ahead of him:

“When I was first asked to read the book, I didn’t think anything of it. I tried reading it, but because of my faith, I don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, once I’ve read it, it’s like I’ve already said it,” the high school junior explained to board members. “To me this is appalling and something I cannot do.”

If he wants to spend his whole life avoiding reading/seeing/hearing anything and everything that he deems profane, he's going to have to spend a whole lot of time in a dark room with the doors locked and the shades down. 

And, wow.  Reading something is the same as doing it?  I hope he didn't read to the end of the book.  Yikes.

Comments

[Kailana]

I read Of Mice and Men when I was in high school... I think. It might have been first year university... Anyways, and I turned out fine. All I think about when I read stuff like this is that people seriously need to be more open-minded. Students are going to school to learn, and in order to learn they have to experience everything. It is 2007 and seriously, book banning should be a thing of the past. This just bothers me because there is supposed to be a separation between church and state, school board falls under state... A book should not be banned for taking the lords name in vain, especially when it is Steinbeck and it was written years ago when that was how people talked. This kid has a hard life ahead of him if little things like this cause him so much trouble. His father is not always going to be there to help him out, and the work world is a totally different ball field.

[Emily H.]

Depending on how much you subvocalize when you read, I can almost maybe possibly see his point--there are some words that make me uncomfortable just to read them. But do I expect anyone to cater to my discomfort? No. Because I'm not a total idiot.

[Leila]

Oh, for sure! I totally support his right to go through life ignoring anything that makes him uncomfortable. I just don't want him to force it on other people.

[Kailana]

What they should have done is gave him a different book or said "tough". To go through all this for one student... well...

[Kelly]

Aargh. I live within 15 miles of this youngster. Has "Of Mice and Men" be challenged often? What's left to read in high school if he's offered an "alternative"?

[Kristopher]

I have friend who used to teach high school English. When one of her students asked for an alternative read, always assigned the same book: Moby Dick.

Moby Dick is totally controversy-free, no sex and a single “damn.” Of course it’s also 500 or so pages of mind-numbing symbolism. After getting through it, nobody ever asked for an alternative read again.