fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #4424 ]

[ SECRET POST #4424 ]

⌈ Secret Post #4424 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 11 secrets from Secret Submission Post #633.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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03. https://i.imgur.com/pTtpHC3.png

I think this is a case where it's pretty reasonable to have expurgated versions of the text, specifically to read with children, so that you can share memories with your kids without sharing the completely awful parts of the text. It's not like this is is something you're reading in a classroom, and not everything from the past has to be an occasion for a teachable moment.

Why? Learning about how people saw things and thought about things in the past, and how (many of us) have evolved from that is a good thing.

DA
Agreed.

IA. But OP isn't sure they want to plunge into a difficult discussion and frankly, I can understand that, too.

I suppose, but trying to hide things from your kids and/or pretending it doesn't exist seems...weird to me.

I think it's reasonable to hold off on novels and movies that glorify minstrel shows (which were pro-slavery propaganda) until someone is old enough to deal with it critically.

I wouldn't. It isn't like there aren't literally billions of other books kids can read. If they end up coming across them on their own in adolescence then that's ok with me. And absolutely I would I would have a discussion with them about the racism both in the times the books are set and the times they were written.

Your copy of the Little House books had color illustrations inside? Fancy.

Wow, I read all these books in elementary school (on my own). I don't remember that part at all.

Actually, that's probably pretty sad that I didn't. I don't think I even knew what blackface was at the time, I suppose I would've just skimmed through parts like that without understanding.

Same. I mean, when I read them there was no one in my school at all who wasn't white, so maybe that's why I didn't pick up on the context?

Jesus, where are you from? Not the southeastern USA, I'm guessing.

Or possibly, from the Southeastern US and in their 60s or above...

Ontario. I mean the area I live in now is HELLA multi-cultural, but I don't think I saw anyone of another race until I was in like, grade six.

nayrt but I'm from a small town in the upper midwest and there were no black kids in my grade. The only non-white kids were one Mexican boy and one Middle Eastern boy.

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(Anonymous) - 2019-02-15 15:20 (UTC) - Expand

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(Anonymous) - 2019-02-15 22:40 (UTC) - Expand

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(Anonymous) - 2019-02-15 23:31 (UTC) - Expand

This is 100% me. I had absolutely no idea what was going on or being referenced at these points in the story, so I really must have skimmed with a ??? over my head and moved on to the next part. I have no memory of this in the book at all.

I do remember parts where I think it was Pa was very anti-Native American and as much as I liked Pa, I thought he was was wrongheaded about them.

Basically, if you teach your children to value all people first, they can figure most of this racism out on their own.

Or, I guess, don't give them these books to read. As much as I loved them and they helped develop my reading skills, there are so many books out there now and available to kids that they won't necessarily miss this one.

I think it was actually Ma who was vehemently anti-Native American,but she's not the only character.

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(Anonymous) - 2019-02-15 03:32 (UTC) - Expand

Ma was, sadly, very anti Native-American, and i really hated those parts of the books. I wanted to shake her!

But i didn't understand what a minstrel show was or anything about it, either.

I don't remember it either. Maybe I read edited versions, or maybe it just went well over my head (I also grew up in a very white area - I knew one Chinese family and one black family, but that was it. I now also live in a very multicultural city)

I remember when I read that part as a kid, and while I didn't understand the historical context of minstrel shows and blackface, I still felt that what they were doing was racist. I think kids can get it, but it's important to explain what's going on and that it is offensive and wrong.

You don't have to.

*shrug*
Your choice. I loved the books as a kid, loved reading about how to make cheese and how to build a house, and loved Laura. I wouldn't give up the experience of reading them for the first time for anything.

Same. You can always read them with your kids, OP, and point out why some of the stuff in it is wrong/not what should be happening in this day and age.

OP already knows that, and said as much in the secret.

Your kids will probably be thankful not to have to read boring frontier era novels for any reason if we’re honest

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