READING AS A SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY

By Peter Wiinholt

I. INTRODUCTION

            There is a lot of current interest in the question of why pre-adolescent, adolescent and teenage boys are less likely to read for pleasure than are girls. In a school system currently fixated on standardized scores it is a sore point to have a glaring inequality in reading scores between genders. More importantly, reading for pleasure is both a valuable source of recreational enjoyment and a vehicle to an expanded world of ideas (which cannot easily be duplicated by things such as movies or video games due to the nature of the media). Philosophical, social, scientific, religious and many other subjects have been postulated, examined, criticized, debated and spread as it could never have been done before the discovery of the printing press. Literacy invites a larger world.

            And yet we seem to be failing in our job to create literate males to the extent that in a recent conversation with a 12 year old boy, he said to me, “Eww. A 14 year old boy who keeps a journal! What is he, ...gay?!” Reading has taken on a connotation of being feminine, -or at least not masculine.

            I see two causes and corresponding solutions to this situation. I will outline each briefly here and then discuss them with more detail in the following chapters.

            The first has to do with the way boys are regarded by the educational system (and perhaps by society in general). What are little boys made of? “Snips and snails and puppy dog tails. That’s what little boys are made of.” As opposed of course to little girls... No offense should be taken at this. This old nursery rhyme recognizes what educators have been slow to recognize. Boys and girls are very different. Modern brain research has corroborated a significant difference between brain function and thought processing between boys and girls.

            In my experience most primary and junior teachers (along with librarians) tend to be female (-many of them possessing that wonderful motherly or grandmotherly quality). These are the years that students are introduced to literature both in what they are guided to read and , more importantly, in what is read aloud in classrooms. The selection of reading material tends to be very sensitively appropriate. As Christina Hoff Sommers hypothesizes in her book, “The War Against Boys”, appropriate often means something that girls would like, while things that boys would like, such as conflict or action or controversy is regarded as inappropriate. (Just take a look at the stereotypical girls’ movies as opposed to the guys’ movies.) If boys are growing up with a feminized view of literacy it is no wonder that they abandon it until they can rediscover it (if they do!!) when they have more freedom to select their own reading material.

            The second reason has to do more specifically with that real difference between boys and girls, and how it translates into reading preferences. Educational theorists like Thomas Newkirk (Misreading Masculinity) and Jeffrey Wilhelm (Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys) have started applying the brain research to literacy strategies. This, combined with the new Instructional Intelligence initiatives represents some of the most significant and meaningful educational material to come out in my entire 25 year career as a teacher. Now, the only question is, will it be adopted and absorbed into the fundamental workings of the educational system; or will it become another fad, never penetrating the surface of daily practice and thought, only to disappear in a few years?

            And so we see two explanations for differences in boys’ and girls’ literary skills. One rests on the real differences in information processing between boys and girls. The other is the disillusion and presumptions that have been created in boys because of many formative years where these differences have not been recognized.

            I was very pleased to have some correspondence and feedback on these ideas from a couple of the authors I mention below. I have included a few of their observations in the sidebars.

II. Controversy and Reading Material

            Last summer I had an odd morning where I took my car in for servicing and found that I would have to wait hours for the work to be completed. Having not made any arrangements, I was stranded in town with nothing to do. So I walked to the nearby movie theatre and sat on the front steps reading a book, waiting an hour or so for the theatre to open. The movie I was waiting for was one of the Harry Potter movies and it had been playing for at least a week.

            As I was sitting there, I had an opportunity to watch the first arrivals for the matinee. As one car after another pulled up, I was slightly surprised to see an assortment of boys step out of the vehicles. Some were alone or in pairs, but most were in groups of four or five. Most were between the ages of 10 and 13, and the boys easily outnumber the girls by about four to one. Soon, more than 50 were waiting on the steps for the theatre to open it’s doors. Being a summer, weekday matinee, I had to assume that I was witnessing the same pilgrimage that occurred every morning that week While waiting, their conversations were about the Harry Potter books, as most had clearly read them all. There were intelligent discussions about how the movie may or may not live up to the book. It was, in short, a very literate ambiance which one might find with adults in a library or a streetside café. These young boys were displaying articulate and critical literary skills in their discussion, and were doing so with enthusiasm.

            For the rest of the day I was in deep thought about how these boys could be so “literate” in this context, and yet so distanced from literature in the classroom. I am strongly against reducing our school curriculum to the lowest common denominator. I do not agree with those who say that if children like video games, then we must make schools more like video games. However, it was clear that in my Harry Potter experience there was a lesson and perhaps an energy to be discovered and harnessed.

            What is the mystery within Harry Potter which yields such a strong attraction? And can it be generalized to other books, to create a broader base of reading material for adolescent boys?

            It became clear to me that several factors could be easily identified to answer these questions. (The real challenge would be in formulating an application for these factors.)

            1. Having been made into films, the Harry Potter books became part of a visual genre, like comic books and graphic novels. The films are slick, well made, with good special effects. The films have added to the fad, and this has added to the desirability of the books. However, this cannot be the only or main reason, as the books gained a following far before the films came out, and the films lag behind the books, meaning that a book is usually read long before the movie is seen.

            2. The character of the book is a rebellious adolescent boy, who doesn’t follow school rules and practices dark and mysterious arts of sorcery. He starts off as an ordinary boy, -if anything, an underdog-, who slowly gains the power to take charge of his own life. He is disobedient and mischievous, in spite of being ultimately on the side of good. There is hardship, violence, and ultimately death and romance. As such, it’s great literature, thematically on a par with anything Shakespearian and many notches above Stephen King. It is , however, aimed at children and so the question of appropriateness takes hold and causes a huge controversy.

            3. The banned status of the Harry Potter books, and the publicity that has come with it, only adds to the notoriety of the series when seen from the perspective of an adolescent boy. If there is controversy attached to a book, reading becomes an exciting act in and of itself for most boys. If it is forbidden, or radical or “spicy”, boys will stay up at light with a flashlight under their covers in order to read it. Do not jump to conclusions, please. I am not advocating giving pornography or deranged books to adolescents just to get them to read (although I’m sure that the “letters to the editor” pages in certain magazines rate among the most read material with many teenage boys). That goes back to the “lowest common denominator” issue. However, books that are daring or rebellious, that involve controversy or challenge the status quo, -these are books that are likely to appeal to boys (probably more so than girls). For older readers, look at the controversy around books like Saliger’s Catcher In The Rye or Burrough’s Naked Lunch. I knew a boy who was suspended from high school for insisting on doing a book report on Naked Lunch. He was forbidden to read and report on it in spite of parental acceptance, but he did it anyways and paid the price. Needless to say, the boy’s opinion of school and education was irreparably damaged. I’m sure there are many similar stories relating to Catcher In The Rye.

            I do a lot of volunteer work with a group of boys ranging in age from about 13 to 16. It is not unusual for us to do trips of a week or more in the summer, driving, biking, hiking and camping in many exotic places around North America. While many of them are reluctant readers, they always have a lot of time to read on these trips, and so I often bring books with me that I think might catch their attention. Every summer there always seems to be one book which is a “hit”. One boy reads the book, and before I know it half a dozen have gone through the pages. I sometimes have to get multiple copies on the road to avoid conflict over the book.

            I’ve seen a lot of these books come and go, and have had a chance to examine common characteristics. The biggest thing is that while boys are reading these books, to one degree or another, they feel they are engaging in a subversive, rebellious activity. There is always something daring or audacious in the book.

            Not all of them are books that I could put in the 
classroom. One that you could put in the classroom is Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card. Many of Card’s books could fit the characteristics I’m talking about here, but Ender’s Shadow is defiantly the one that has the most appeal. It’s about children in an extreme situation doing extreme things. It’s about conflict and violence and military strategy. And it is written in a very accessible manner, making it easy to read in spite of a fairly mature reading level and vocabulary. Boys in my class and in my youth group have devoured it (while girls often start it and don’t finish it).

            Another author who was highly praised and read one summer is Christopher Moore. Two of his more popular and recent books are Fluke and Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff, Jesus’ Childhood Friend. Both are irreverent but extremely hilarious and intelligently written. The irreverence and audacity of Lamb make it a daring book to read (but it is not at all an anti-Christian book). Are there sexual and vulgar parts to the books? Yes. I know I’m opening up a whole kettle of fish because personal standards vary, but that’s just the point! In our definition of appropriate as excluding all of the things that might entice boys to read, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Where the line is to be drawn is a huge question. Years ago, people thought that Gordon Korman went over the line, -then Judy Blume. Personally I can see no harmful effects of any adolescent boy reading Christopher Moore or any of the other authors I am going to mention below. I would be far more concerned about some of the things they watch in movies or on TV!! Humour and satire are important elements of free speech and the ability to criticize our society. Fantasy and imagination are important in creating new visions and hopes for our society.

            Several other books that have gained significant readership among boys that I deal with include the following:

            Skipped Parts, by Tim Sandlin : The movie version is readily available on DVD and follows the book fairly closely. It is a very humorous look at sexuality and teen years.

            The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse, by Robert Rankin : Strange would be a mild description. This murder mystery will never let you look at nursery rhyme characters the same way again. Rankin has many other books, but this is the most accessible one I have found so far.

            Youth In Revolt, by C. D. Payne is the diary of Nick Twisp, a 14 year old boy living in California. Although many of his problems may be typical for a 14 year old boy, his solutions are not. This leads to some hilarious situations. Nick definitely does some things that parents would not want their own sons to do, but that’s what makes him interesting. Although a bit extreme in some areas, it is the most successful book I’ve seen with a group of boys, in spite of a very advanced vocabulary for a 14 year old’s diary.

            The “Artimus Fowl” books, by Eoin Colfer have also achieved a lot of success with boys. The main character is a boy genius who is a criminal (and who has far fewer amiable qualities than Harry Potter). His criminal activities are bluntly presented in the book, without apology. And yet he is an endearing and popular character. Children reading the book have no trouble recognizing the fictional nature of the character. His criminal nature is no more likely to make them want to perform criminal acts than would reading about Superman make them try to fly. Meanwhile, as the books progress, Artemus seems to be developing a conscience which may, in the end, prove to give the books a more positive moral flavour. Regardless, boys read them.

            In most of the books mentioned above, the same formula can be found as in the Harry Potter books. Underdog boy gains power and takes charge of his life (sometimes with more positive results than at other times). Is this not a central theme of growing up? Is it not a pivotal question in the lives of adolescent boys? Certainly books that speak to this theme are going to have a better chance with adolescent and teen male readers. By and large, I think that most male readers do not think that there is anything in the library that is relevant to them, because it has been buried for so long. Those books in the library that touch on those themes might be very good, but are still mostly shrouded in appropriate packaging. Their subtlety is not going to bring back a reluctant reader who has given up on books. To reclaim those readers you need something that hits the target square between the eyes. You need a depiction of life that hits home hard, or you need a blatant heroic fantasy that makes you look at the good side of life.

            And in either case a touch of the subversive doesn’t hurt.

III. MYSTERY & MISCHIEF

            Tina Turner once said that Rock and Roll was all about mystery and mischief. What’s proven successful for Rock and Roll might be the ticket for successful adolescent literacy as well.

            In the final chapter of Misreading Masculinity by Thomas Newkirk (which sums the book up very nicely), the author outlines several guidelines for male adolescent literacy. Here is a brief summary using Newkirk’s subheadings:

            1. Widen the Circle : Develop a wider perspective of what counts as appropriate literacy. This would include extending the line of appropriateness to include more appealing material (whether that might be Captain Underpants or Youth In Revolt). Again, Newkirk argues that the line must be drawn in such a way as to exclude “clearly pernicious” such as pornographic, racist or sexist material, but states clearly that the line must be reconsidered. There is no doubt that any reconsideration is going to be a major debate. Secondly, he argues that not only the subject matter, but the type of narrative should be broadened to include “...rock videos, Web pages, animated cartoons and gossip.” (p. 170)

            2. Allow Cartooning as Serious Business: We all have met the boys who continuously draw. Drawing is the counterpart for writing that is referred to as visualization in reading. Cartooning and storyboards are an important form of graphic organizer for some students, especially boys.

            3. Acknowledge the Complexity of Violence...: Before condemning violence, understand that its use is complex. While some forms of violence in creative writing are hurtful and damaging to others, not all use of violence in action based plots falls into this category. Like adults, children do have the ability to separate fiction from reality when it comes to violence. Violence is often used to propel a plot line, add description and in many cases is used as a sort of violence parody.

            4. Accept Youth Genres : Don’t expect students to write like little adults. They don’t experience the world the same way and their writing is therefore likely to be qualitatively different from that which adults usually expect. Things like exaggeration, action vs reflection, use of familiar characters and situations and slapstick humour are likely to permeate the writing of children, and should.

            5. Make Way for Obsession : Adults often get obsessed in their reading habits, devouring one particular author or genre, in watching a specific TV show or playing a particular game. Why do we expect more from our students than we would from well educated adults? (This is a whole topic in itself, as I’ve had the opportunity to examine several articles and manuscripts submitted for publication, and have developed a strong opinion of the editor’s value in the publishing process.) Revisiting similar settings, characters or genres in children’s writing is a form of developing mastery and evolving a particular idea. This may also take the form of extending an existing TV show, movie or novel character. If a boy wants to write Star Wars stories, he is in good company as Star Wars novels take up at least four full shelves at my local book store. There is a wonderful web site dedicated to young authors writing and submitting stories that are all based on existing narratives, covering everything from Beowulf to Harry Potter. (http://www.fanfiction.net/ )

               I clearly remember an incident when I was in grade five, where we had been asked to write a story of choice. At the time I was very much interested in reading comic books. They probably taught me how to read more so than any other single factor. The night before I had cut from one of the comics a single frame that had a group shot of all of the individuals in the Legion of Super Heroes. When the teacher gave us our assignment I took this picture out of my pocket and put it on the table. The teacher saw it and simply said, “None of that!” And that was the end of that. Had I been allowed to continue, I’m not sure what may have developed, but I’m sure it would have been more memorable than whatever piece of appropriate rubbish I ended up producing. And what would have been the harm in my using a character and setting of which I was very familiar? Comics were regarded as trivial, and therefore anything that was related to them was equally trivial.

                                                                      Comics always had literacy for boys pegged. Visuals. Fast paced action. Exaggeration. Story continuity. Controversial themes. Comic writers like Frank Miller and Neil Gaiman have come forward in recent years to become notable novelists. In video, everything from Star Wars to Buffy The Vampire Slayer to uncountable video games have used the same formula. Games like Morrowood actually allow you to create your own characters and guide them through alternative settings in the game such that the character evolves.

            Finally, in Smith and Wilhelm’s book, Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys, a very important point is made about being “in the zone”. Whether it be sports, video games or reading, people perform best when they are totally involved in what they are doing, with a sense of efficacy. To be absorbed in something is a rush that we’ve all felt. It’s a feeling of emotional ease and confidence. But in order to be compelling, it has to be a challenge or task set at the right level of difficulty. Too easy or too difficult and there is no absorption. “The fact that video games contain different levels means that the level of challenge will always be appropriate. That ... is what makes them so compelling.” (p. 36) Is it possible to accomplish the same thing with reading?

            Current efforts to do this, which revolve around Benchmark and DRA testing, depend on two things which have not necessarily been successful. The first is the integrity of the tests in identifying student needs. Not only are they vague in confirming reading level, but they take no other factors into account in their analysis. Secondly, materials which follow from these tests often have that same “kiss of death” attached to them in their honest attempts to be appropriate. Stories about dead dogs (referring to Korman’s novel) can still be presented at specific reading levels. Challenge doesn’t arise strictly from the reading level. Students are capable of handling greater challenges if the motivation or interest is there. (Take as your example the many books that I mentioned earlier.) Books that seem highly appropriate according to the sterile analysis of the tests might still be of no interest, in which case challenge doesn’t enter into it.

            Most students learn the important things that stay with them with or without the help of a teacher or a school. They learn what they need to know to follow their interests and reach their goals. The things that are spoon fed in classrooms are often of very little long term value. (Give any grade six student a grade five science test partway through the year to see what I mean.) Few elementary school children really need to know about Bernoulli’s Law or about the battle of the Plains of Abraham. -And those that do need to know, for whatever reasons, will find out on their own (or with a little help) and the knowledge will be retained because it is linked to something relevant. Most High Schools regard entering students as being blank slates anyway, and cover it all again. Sometimes I think that the best thing we can do for students is just stay out of their way most of the time, until we’re asked for help. Of course that is a little idealistic, but perhaps holds some kernel of advice. 

            Students quickly learn what they think they need to know. Students regard as important the things that are given a lot of time. Often I feel that those two basic truths about pedagogy are ignored, -especially when it comes to boys. Following from those truths is a simple guideline: Create environments where students need to know, and give them time to find out. And literacy, too, will follow.