Hide And Seek America Analysis

Diamond Smith
Mr. Lejuine
English 102
17 April 2016
Hide and Seek America
Novels reflect people, technology, situations, and gives a broad view of what a certain time period was like. It reveals the time period’s beliefs, the way they lived, and how the language was used. Whether the language was used in a dehumanizing manner or in an uplifting way, language provides historical background. When making a mistake, a person should not try to erase their mistake, instead they should learn from it. Judgements should not be made on the situation, but how the situation was valued as a lesson. Hiding a situation does not solve a problem, instead it is a sign of weakness. American schools and libraries should not leave out books with racist terms because

Parents try to “protect” their children from being exposed to certain things which cause their child to be ignorant of the real world. For example, many young people who were pregnant at a younger age, say that their parents did not teach them about sex which caused them to act in a certain way. If schools and libraries shield children from learning about racist terms then the children with be more prone to discriminate against different races. Growing up, reading books with racist terms such as Huckleberry Finn and The Color Purple did not bother me because it gave me a clear understanding of what life was like back then. Children do not become exposed to racist terms until they attend middle school because that is the time teachers choose to teach about slavery. In early grades, children are taught that Native American people participated in Thanksgiving. In literature, Native Americans are referred to as “Indian,” “Injun,” “Redskin,” or “Prairie Nigger.” Asians are referred to as “Chink” or “Jap.” Hispanics are referred to as “Wetbacks.” All of these racist terms have been used in literature and although they are seen as a dark space in American history, they should not be erased because it makes the country look as if they are hiding and trying to cover

Dr. Joseph Bentz, a literature professor, argued against banning the book from schools and libraries. I completely agree with this article which is why I am using it as one of my sources. The author believes that changing the book would defeat its satirical purpose, which I feel is correct. If people decided to change the words in the book, it will take away from the meaning of the book in general. With the information provided, I will support the fact that the book is also a historical story that help understand a certain time period in America. Young people being exposed to this material will understand the life of African American. The author also gives a personal view from an African American male stand point o reading the book during his youth. The man had experienced embarrassment because when the word “nigger” was said out loud, the white students would laugh about it. Later on he would find relief when the word was not used a few pages ahead (par 9). This example is very important, it made known that the children was well aware of the term, just like any other curse word. Bentz ends his point of view with the fact that keeping the book keeps his students on their toes and guessing, just like most