Lana Berdy asked a really good question as to whether or not “authors write books as a representation of real life events put into a simplistic manner” and I thought it was a really good question so I decided to answer it, and pick on Shel Silverstein J.
I do believe that authors write about real life events in the form and simplicity of children's picture books. In one of our classes Mr. Ide was telling us about some of the controversies of children's literature in the last 100 years. For example when the class read and deeply analyzed the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, a lot of discussion was brought up about the abusive and one-sided relationship between the "boy that never grew up" and "always giving and often neglected mother tree." After hearing our class analysis, I got to thinking about what kind of person would write a novel like this and why?
But then when Mr. Ide told us it was Shel Silverstein I was at first happy like "OH! itis the poetry book guy! He's awesome!" But when Mr. Ide said that Shel Silverstein also wrote for Playboy, and that what he wrote in the magazine is considered pretty derogatory towards women, I finally saw the connection between an author's real life views put into a simplistic form such as a picture book.
Now I'm not saying we should burn all the books that Silverstein ever wrote, and even with everything I have heard about him, I still this he is very talented and one of the best children’s poets that ever lived, but isn't it interesting that a man who writes for a magazine where women are objectified and used only for the desirable assets they have, would also write a children's novel in which a feminized tree is used over and over again to satisfy an abusive, immature, and shallow man? Is art imitating life here, or it is possible that an author can completely cut out ALL of their personal, political, or whatever views to when it comes to writing a story? Tell me what you think?
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2 comments:
I think that it would be possible for an author to cut out all of his or her experiences and views from their writing, but that if they did it would probably lead to really poor work. In my opinion it is an authors own experiences that lend most of the depth and meaning to stories. How is some one supposed to know what it's like to yearn for adventure if they never have themselves? or what it is to love? Reading books is really just a way that human beings can share what they've learned from their own experiences with others in an entertaining way.
I think that I agree with Holly that if one tried to leave out their personal views their writing would lack quality and also passion. I think that people expect too much from writers. They are not perfect people just as we are not.There is no requirement for morality and justice to become a writer nor should there be. The Bible says that gifts come without repentance and I tend to agree. Talent is totally seperate from your personality. Your personality is shown through your talent. Our world is enriched by all types and wrong is not always wrong and right is not always right. Plus I think Silverstein is getting a bad rap. Many people treat their mothers or women in a selfish manner just as many treat their fathers or other men selfishly.
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