Adolescent Fiction: Social Transgressions-Annie On My Mind

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Social Transgressions-Annie On My Mind

In Annie on My Mind, there definitely are social transgressions present. The two which I feel are most evident are ear piercing and same sex relationships. As a reader, my opinion is that the characters are both punished and affirmed for stepping outside of social conventions.

To begin with: ear piercing. I did not realize that ear piercing was so frowned upon in the early 80's if we wouldn't have discussed it in class. So, that being said, it made more sense why this was such a huge issue when Sally pierced Jennifer's ears at school. At the point when this happened, Mrs. Poindexter was the one who punished Sally for the ear piercing and also Liza for not reporting Sally on breaking a rule. In my mind, I didn't really see it as that big of a deal and thought it was blown out of proportion. Mrs. Poindexter is always concerned with the well-being of Foster and their appearance to the public. She was more concerned with this situation because of the impact and negative publicity it would create on their fundraising campaign.

Next, the main social transgression throughout this book is that of same sex relationships. There are people in this book who have a problem with this issue and then there are those who are open to the issue. Society, in general, is the same way. Who's to know if that will ever change either? Anyway, in this book, Liza is initially punished from the school after she is caught with Annie at Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson's home. Once again, Mrs. Poindexter is punishing her because of what she feels will happen to the reputation of Foster. I think most of her decision is based on the fact of how society feels on the issue and what is socially accepted. After being initially punished, she later (after her hearing) was able to return to school because the board found no cause for disciplinary action. I found this decision to be fair. She wasn't hurting anyone else- she was in love and couldn't fight the feelings she was having toward someone else.

The reason I felt that Annie and Liza were also affirmed for stepping outside of the social conventions is because of what Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson said to them at the end of the book. "Bad things can always be overcome." (232) They also said that the truth makes one free. I think that by these young women knowing Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson and seeing their relationship, it showed them that their love can survive and they just need to be forgot what everyone thinks and just be happy with each other.

1 comment:

JenMarch 15, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Tess,
I like what you say about the young women's affirmation coming in the form of having found mentors. Furthermore, you note that Mrs. Poindexter seems more concerned with how an act will make the school appear to others than any other consideration. That's true and a good observation which really takes the reader from the ear piercing issue to the relationship issue.
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Post #9 Shakespeare Bats Cleanup (due MONDAY, 4/30 by class time)

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup explores a number of themes, among them grief, identity, coming of age (Bildungsroman), friendship, love, and others. Kevin, our adolescent narrator, shares his story with us as a poetic narrative which includes poems written in conventional forms and free-form poems. Choose one theme which the book develops, and show its development through the text. As you do so, be sure to consider and articulate how the book's structure (as poems) affects whatever theme you discuss.

Post #7 Warriors Don't Cry (due Sunday 4/15 by 8 pm)

Choices for responses:

1. The title of this text refers to warriors. How are the characters warriors? Are you comfortable with that depiction? Why or why not? Be sure to offer specific description as you explore characterization.

2. While it could certainly be argued that the author of our last novel does place himself in the text, that book is fiction. This text is not; rather, it's a memoir. How does knowing that the book is non-fiction shape your reading of it? Does it cause you to respond differently? If so, how? If not, why not? Consider characters, events, and the historical context carefully as you respond.

Post #6 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (due Sunday, 3/25 by 8 pm)

Post #5 Annie on My Mind (part 2) due Sun 3/11 by 8 pm

You have several different options for your response:

1. How is social transgression framed and treated in the novel? Do you as a reader find that the characters are affirmed or punished for stepping outside of social conventions?

2. We've talked a bit about parallel spaces in texts, spaces in which characters encounter very different experiences. After reading this novel, can we argue that those parallel spaces never intersect? What function might those separate (or not so separate) spaces serve?

3. The story is written in the epistolary (letter writing) tradition. How does that framing affect your reading? Your interaction with characters? Your response?

Post #3 Due by Monday's class (2/20)

For this post, you have three options:

1. Respond to some theme you identify in the novel. Be sure that you make a claim and support it using specific examples from the book.

2. Apply the article's claims to the novel. Be sure that you make a claim and support it using specific examples from the article and the book.

3. Examine the novel as science fiction. How is it both utopic and dystopic in its function? What might it be warning us as a society against? Be sure that you make a claim and support it using specific examples from the text.

Post #1 Due by Thursday's class (1/26)

Ellen Raskin's novel The Westing Game is a detective novel, yes, but we can tease out many themes as we examine the text. A few we introduced and explored briefly in class today:

the Cinderella effect

the roles of women

identity construction

gaming and strategy

trust (as it relates to other themes or on its own)

oppressive/repressive (think Trites) parents

Choose from a theme on this list or choose a theme you've noted in the text, and write about the way the theme is introduced and developed through the novel. As you show how the theme works throughout the book, be sure to offer specific examples to support your ideas.