Just this morning I was listing out the classes I am taking this semester to someone I know, when she stopped me to ask exactly what the Arts in New York City class is. I explained to her the main premise of the course, sharing with her the performances I’ve seen, and the museums I’ve visited. An artist herself, she was intrigued with the philosophy of the program, and thought I was especially lucky to have had the opportunity to see a performance at the Metropolitan Opera.
Today was another adventurous day for me, and for that I have HNRS 125 to thank. In order to complete a requirement for the class (visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and to take full advantage of the other establishments of the Upper East Side (Bloomingdale’s), I took a total of three trains and two buses. Of course, I must say, it was well worth the effort in the end. But now I’m just getting off topic.
Back to the task at hand…
When I first read the assignment for the blog, my first thought was to write about Beirut Rocks, the third play from Theater Day of orientation. In our society, many of us view conflicts between countries from only one point of view. Each time I read or hear about the Israeli Palestinian Conflict, it is from the same perspective, but it was interesting to be exposed to the other side’s point of view.
However, after much more deliberation, I decided another piece of art this semester had a greater influence on me.
Let me preface my choice, and reasons for it, with a small anecdote. In my high school, just outside of the library of the school, is a small display where, periodically, the librarians create exhibits for the students in the school related to reading and books. One display, from freshman year, really struck me. It was a history and listing of banned books. Up until that point, I viewed the library as a haven of books, in which authors were free to speak their minds and readers were free to listen. I never realized that there is an authority out there, monitoring books that are published and distributed to the public, nor do I believe that any such authority should exist. For this reason, of all of the art we have been exposed to this semester, The Metal Children had the most significant impact on me.
I agree completely and whole-heartedly with Vera and the other high school girls. Their teacher chose to have the class read the novel for a reason, and the parents should be a little less involved with what is taught in the classroom. The issues addressed in the novel are challenges that teenage girls face each day, and for this reason, they should learn about it in school, along with ways to prevent and deal with such problems.
There is proof that the reading of the novel was important to the students – they were willing to take drastic action to prevent the banning of the novel. Vera respected Tobin for his willingness to take risks in his writing, and although he did not write the novel with the intention of helping these girls, he assisted them in allowing their voices to be heard. I personally believe that had this book not been banned, these girls would not have started this mission – they would have continued to lead the normal lives they were living. When parents and schools place too many restrictions on kids, they rebel to claim their independence. The response to the novel was the epitome of this theory.
Overall, The Metal Children was a well-written play, and if given the option, I would definitely watch a performance of it. The clash between the banning of books and freedom of the press is an ongoing debate that is illuminated in this great work of art.
