Darkness Too Visible

      The article "Darkness Too Visible," by Megan Cox Gurdon published on The Wall Street Journal talks around the issue about challenged and banned books. The author expresses her ideas through the eyes of a 46 year old mother of three named Amy Freeman who stood recently in the young adult section of her local Barnes and Nobles, in Bethesda, Md. She said, "Hundreds of Lurid and dramatic covers stood on the racks before her, she felt 'nothing' not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter?" So how dark is contemporary fiction for teens? Gurdon believes that contemporary fiction should be banned and restricted to adolescences.
       Gurdon uses imagery as a type of craft to visualize contemporary fiction. She states, "teen fiction can be like a hall of fun house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what is life." This depicts the imagery of fiction being horrendous and gives the idea of fiction portraying negative and dark topics on what life is. This example provides the expressively negative impact of fiction to teens. The statement introduces the negative point of view on fiction, but secludes the positive view of fiction on teens such as, preparing them for life because life isn't easy and these fiction books being ridiculed by many, actually help to prepare a teen to conquer any obstacle that gets in their way later on in their adult hood.
        Overall, personally I disagree with the bias being presented by Megan Cox Gurdon on books being banned based on their language and content. I think that teens shouldn't be restricted on what they can't and cannot read because overall what matters is that they have a great time enjoying the book they're reading. I realized that certain books that are challenged are based on different criteria they each contain such as content, language, and imagery. There was a statement that stood out to me and that was, "There are a course of expectations, but a careless young reader-or one who seeks out to depravity-will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds." The reason this stood out to me was because they don't state the positive message being presented here such as preparing teens on obstacles they will be presented on later in life. So how dark is contemporary fiction? It's up to you to decide.

Never Eighteen

      Many people have encountered the loss of a loved one and know it may be hard to overcome the struggles and hardships. I have almost encountered the loss of a love one when my cousin and aunt got run over by a bus. My world felt like it came crumbling down which is the same feeling my family felt for a long time. I've seen and lived the struggles my family and I had to overcome throughout a long period of time ranging from August to about February. The book “Never Eighteen,” by Megan Bostic is about a teenager named Austin, and who with friends and family face the loss of a their dear friend Jake. He was taking a ride on his skate board one night when he got ran over by a car. Little by little they see the hardness in life after the emptiness they start to feel, but try to overcome one downcast step at a time. I think that the author is telling the reader that death is a horrible encounter and is not straightforward to overcome.

              The consequences of someone dying may not just be sobbing all the time, but to enter withdrawal and depression. And in the book that’s exactly what happened to Jake’s mom. For example, “the stench of stale cigarettes almost makes me gag. The shades are drawn, darkness cast across everything like a ghostly shadow. I scan the living room, barely recognizing the place that used to be my second home. Once a small, clean sanctuary, now is a strewn with over flowing ashtrays and dishes covering the counter and fill the sink.”(pg.18) This shows the significance of her depression and the total wreck she has become by casting the reader a visual picture of the home. It’s also showing the depression externally than internally, as well as showing not telling the mood the mom’s feeling. This shows the inferior she’s going through and the shocked feeling she is having. I can connect to this because I felt in shock the moment a sudden phone call rang and my mom told me the news. I felt like a dark cloud cast above me and hit me with all its might. 

             Moreover, together with withdrawal and depression another result can be cast around the influence of drugs on teens. An example would  notably be shown through the girlfriend of Jake, Allie, “she reeks of pot.”(pg.48) In this example it is showing the drug addict Allie has become. But as well as the poor life choice she has made. I think that Allie is doing drugs in order to get all the stress that she feels is compressing her, as well as the disillusioned feeling she is having off her mind. I think that Allie is making these poor choices because she feels vulnerable at the moment and is perplexed on what to do. This connects to the topic sentence because it gives away the clear idea on what Allie is doing.

               Further more,  another key point would be the struggles of overcoming the death of a loved one. The author does a brief way of showing this when Austin tells Allie “‘You should get help. You’re slowly killing yourself, you know?” (pg.55) This is showing the pain and suffering Allie is going through and the stress and overwhelming feeling that she is having. As well as the inconsolably and abandoned feelings she is having. I think that Allie is insulated with a bunch of problems which she doesn't know how to deal with and overcome. I also think that since Allie is a teen she doesn't fully know how to deal with this problem independently and needs the support of her parents. Who can be her guiding hands.  

             Overall, the author Megan Bostic enforces the idea that death is a horrible encounter and is not straightforward to overcome. And she does a great way of showing that statement throughout the book, as well as stating that life is to short and you should enjoy every minute you have with no regrets. I think that the book is also telling the reader to appreciate what you have and the people around you. This is a valuable message because you never know when someone you or a loved one will go. So hold on to them like a balloon for if not they will blow away.