The other day I was visiting a high school class. When I was taking questions, a ninth grader asked me how I go about putting symbolism and hidden meanings in my books. When I replied that I do not put hidden meanings and symbolism in my books, the boy’s response was, “But my teacher is always pointing out that stuff in the books we read, including yours.”
There are many things one can teach about a book: its context, language, style, construction, its historical moment, and so forth. The list is long, and productive. But to teach as if a text is written in code—a code only a teacher can decipher—is to tell students that they cannot understand what is being read. It makes readers feel dumb. It tells them they cannot understand literature. Most importantly, if one teaches literature in such a fashion, it robs a student of the joy of reading on his or her own terms and experience.
“You really don’t put symbols and hidden meanings in your books?” the boy asked incredulously.
“Nope,” I said. “I just want you to have the pleasure of reading them.”
“Wow,” he said, as other students nodded. “I wish you would tell that to my teacher.”
As it turned out, unbeknown to me, there was a literature teacher in the classroom. When the kids left, she introduced herself.
I said, “I hope you weren’t offended by my remarks.”
“Oh no,” she assured me, “I suppose one could make a case for reading for pleasure.”
I hope I did.
13 thoughts on “Making the case”
Thanks for reminding us of that novel concept, people read for pleasure!
Avi, I work for houghton mifflin now and I am in New Jersey training teachers. I am using your blog every day. You nail it. Love to L.
Thank you Jan. Always good to hear from you. Lots of love.
Avi
So glad to read this. Would love to have a conversation with my kooky children’s lit prof again!!
‘Incredulously’? Really? Excellent article until that word was used.
Yes, incredulously. Really
Facepalm on the teacher’s comment. Geez. Signed, a school librarian
Reading for pleasure led, for me, to writing for pleasure. It’s always better to let your mind fly with the story than it is to bog yourself in themes and symbols and meanings.
Go, Avi! I am very sensitive to this making-readers-feel-dumb thing. And what about the fact that each reader brings his/her own life/self to a book, and any meaning they derive is theirs and theirs alone? It’s not about the author’s intentions. Thank you for your response to these students!
That’s what happened to poetry too. Too many students were taught (implicitly and explicitly) that poetry has “hidden meanings”…and we must work to discover what they are (suggesting that there is only one way to interpret a poem). I would like to think that we have moved beyond that. I would like to think that classrooms are filled with poetry. I would like to think kids are writing poetry (and stories) because it gives them pleasure. Hope that’s the case! I tried in my many years of teaching children’s and literature and writing to give the teachers in my classes those kinds of experiences. Thank you for writing about this topic. It matters!
Caroline
Years ago I visited a classroom in which the teacher had a “Poetry Throne.” It had bookcases built into it with, yes, books of poetry. Her rule: Any child at ANY time could go sit in that throne as long as they had a book of poetry open on their laps.
Avi
I chose you to write my research paper on. Our topic was famous authors so I chose to do you. I don’t know if you can help me… Is there anything that you would like me to know about you or any great advice that I could put in my paper? Thank-You
Shannon
In class we have to write a paper on a famous author. So I chose you. I was wondering if you can tell me a little about you and your books. Maybe like your childhood. In my research so far I found that you were a twin, I am one too! I found some of the awards you got to. I would love for you to help me out this because I think it would be cool to get direct information form the author that I am doing. Your writings are amazing and I hope you win the nutmeg 2014
Thank you so much
Shannon