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>Show complexity – whilst showing the impacts – and yes, appeal – of activities that may be dangerous or illegal, don’t celebrate the activity. But don’t condem
by xabotage 10y ago
>Show complexity – whilst showing the impacts – and yes, appeal – of activities that may be dangerous or illegal, don’t celebrate the activity. But don’t condemn the characters either. No-one likes a wagging finger.
I appreciate this "rule" that the author holds. I think there really are two sides to these kinds of controversial issues - parents who don't fully understand the appeal, and teens who don't fully understand the danger - and the best way to show both sides is to tell it like it is.
Unfortunately, since in fiction the author has full reign over the plot, lazier (or else ignorant) authors who may not fully understand both sides might simply reward or punish characters regardless of any realistic criteria. If I tried to write such a book, I would fall into the "ignorant" category, biased not only by my limited experience but also by my natural desire to reward characters more like myself, regardless of whether their actions merit it.
- Vaskivo 10y agoI disagree. I believe art should be whatever it wants to be. If someone wants to write a book glorifying "bad things", I say go for it. It might even be an interesting read. Exploring the two sides of an issue (or three or four) should be done "away" from the book. We should confront those ideas with the real world and everything else we know. The author has no obligation to present those ideas fairly or truthfully. [1] Parents should tech their kids to think critically, to accept that anything can be wrong or misleading. They should always evaluate what they learned and gather their own conclusions. [1] And writing about X doesn't mean the author subscribes to X.
- themartorana 10y agoAll the way agree. Parents should discuss a book after it's been read (yup, it means reading what your kids are reading, and teenagers don't always have great taste...) and go over anything controversial, leave the floor open for questions, encourage them to consider scenarios that are outside of their experiences, and so on. Teenagers are perfectly capable of handling adult topics if they have the support of adults to help them grasp the entirety of it all. Keeping them insulated in a bubble, away from the real world, just means they'll get to experience it all at once, alone, without support, when they finally venture out of the house as young adults.
- gbog 10y agoThinking critically is only the second order. The first order is to read, understand, memorize, and think. Also, if kids are fed with good books, they'll learn from the book itself to think "critically", because good books will push them to do that.