Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. When using book titles in your post you should set the title off with the underscore key: _Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret._ (as the comment box does not recognize italics). If you are signed up to be a discussion leader, your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. If you are signed up to be a responder, your post should be 250 words in length and respond to, answer, extend, or disagree with a question or thought from another student's post. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Friday, February 5 at midnight (for discussion leaders) and Monday, February 8 at midnight (for responders).
Discussion Leaders: McKenna, Amanda, Carla, and Aly F.
Responders: Cassi, Gianna, Alison M., and Summer
One of the discussions I found most interesting in Judy Blume’s, _Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret?_ is religion. Margaret searches for guidance throughout the book on which religion she should be a part of, after a conversation with her new friends on why her religion wasn’t chosen for her.
ReplyDelete“But if you aren’t any religion, how are you going to know if you should join the Y or the Jewish Community Center?” Janie asked, “I don’t know,” Margret said. “I never thought about it. Maybe I won’t join either one.” “But everybody belongs to one or the other.” Nancy said.” (35) As Margaret is feeling peer pressure and unsure what to do she turns to God saying a silent prayer.
“Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I just told my mother I want a bra. Please help me grow God. You know where. I want to be like everyone else. You know God, my new friends all belong to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. Which way am I supposed to go? I don’t know what you want me to do about that.” (37)
Margaret struggles being pulled in many directions by not just her friends, her grandparents play a big role in her confusion by saying one religion is better than the other. In the beginning her grandma, Sylvia was very excited when I asked, “Can I could go to Temple with you sometimes?” Grandma said, “My Margaret!” as she threw her arms around me. “I knew you were a Jewish girl at heart! I knew it!” (55) Margaret proceeded to tell her parents she was going to Temple with grandma and after a heated discussion on why she wasn’t ready to choose. Margaret said, “Fine. Then I’ll be going.” The morning of she laid in her bed and said.
“Are you there God? It’s Me, Margaret. I’m going to temple today—with Grandma. It’s a holiday. I guess you know that. Well my father think’s it’s a mistake and my mother thinks the whole idea is crazy, but I’m going anyway. I’m sure this will help me decide what to be. I’ve never been inside a temple or a church. I’ll look for you God.” (57)
In this passage Margaret is clearly struggling with what her parents said the night before, but is clearly going anyways. Throughout the book she is looking for someone to confide in as her parents seem to be absent in helping her through difficult times (moving, friends, puberty, new school and religion). Her innocence and strength are both shown here. First, by the way she thinks this can be solved with one trip to Temple and that she may believe that she will actually see God shows her innocence. Second, standing up to her parents and holding them to their word that she could make the decision shows a lot of strength. As she begins to grow her path crosses many other avenues of religion such as; reading _Modern Judaism_ , _ A History of Christianity, and Catholicism -- Past and Present_ and visiting the First Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church , the Temple of Israel and went to a brief confession at Saint Bartholomew Church she still did not have an answer.
In the article “Are You There Reader? It’s Me, Margaret: A Reconsideration of Judy Blume’s Prose as Sororal Dialogism”, At the end of the book Margaret does not stop praying to God for help after she menstruates, but she does treat God with a bit more respect that she had previously, thanking him for not “missing” the event (275) as Margaret’s search continues to find a religion, God is still the one being that will always be there to listen.
Although, Judy Blume is maybe to descriptive in some of her passages she does do a great job at writing about tuff topics for young ladies in a way that are easily comprehended to gain the knowledge needed to grow if there isn’t anyone for them to talk to.
Questions for Discussion: How do you feel Margaret’s parents handled her curiosity about religion? Do you think Judy Blume intentionally uses such fowl/descriptive language to entice the younger generation?
Carla Ritchie
Word Count: 700
How do you feel Margaret’s parents handled her curiosity about religion? Do you think Judy Blume intentionally uses such fowl/descriptive language to entice the younger generation?
DeleteCarla,
In this post I will be attempting to answer your discussion question for, _Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret?_. I felt as though the blending of religious beliefs that took place in Margaret’s parent’s marriage was the catalyst that drive her parents to react the way they did regarding her religious curiosity. When Margaret first reveals she will be going to the temple for Rosh Hashanah with her grandma, she tells her mother “’don’t get so hysterical!’” (56). Despite her parents telling her she can choose her religion when she is older, they certainly did not react as if they actually supported that. However, Margaret’s mother does not stop her, despite not wanting her daughter to “’bother herself with religion’” (56). I found it saddening how Margaret’s parents let their personal issues with religion effect their daughter so much. I feel like Margaret was the adult in some circumstances, like when Barbara’s parents come to visit and the fight than ensues is broken up by Margaret (134). I think Margaret’s parents took a problem that was their own and made it their daughter’s, something I don’t necessarily agree with.
I think Judy Blume uses fowl/descriptive language to mock the thoughts of an 11-12 year old girl. I think that Margaret is the character who, for most young female readers, says what they are thinking but never said themselves. I think this in itself is what entices younger generations, because topics that are considered taboo like menstruation, are explicitly talked about. I think Margaret’s character has the potential to form bonds with readers, and the language she uses though Blume’s writing is one facet that contributes to how that relationship is built.
Gianna Petan
Word count: 274
In response to discussion leader Carla’s question, I feel like Margaret’s parents were kind of missing through a lot of the events and emotions Margaret was curious about throughout the book. I am not necessarily talking about the religion curiosity specifically, but also life curiosity. On page two, Margaret says “I think we left the city because of my grandmother, Sylvia Simon. I can't figure out any other reason for the move. Especially since my mother says Grandma is too much of an influence on me.” Margaret’s grandma seems to be that person who is there for her, when her parents are not. On pages 102-104, we see the letters Margaret and her grandmother write back and forth to each other and it shows that they share a special bond. They tell each other things that are very deep. This makes it hard to determine if her parents handled her curiosity about religion in a good or bad way, because they seemed to shy away when it came to a lot of the curiosities Margaret had, especially religion, but her grandma was always there to talk about it, even if she was trying to convince Margaret to choose the Jewish religion. Margaret is curious about a lot of things, as many girls her age are. The main curiosity displayed in this book is her religion. Religion played a huge role in her parents lives, as we see as the book goes on, and that is a possible reason why they react the way they do when Margaret talks about religion. It was good that Margaret’s parents let her choose her own religion when they feel she is old enough to do it. However, I think they should have talked about it more with her, like her grandma did, instead of getting mad that she was trying out the different religions. If they were letting her choose her own religion and realized Margaret was becoming more curious about it, wouldn’t it have been better to let her be exposed to every religion instead of getting upset like her mother did on page 56.
DeleteJudy Blume intentionally uses such fowl\descriptive language because she is just being blunt, as you should be with books dealing with the life topics discussed. These life events and thoughts that Margaret is going through are events and thoughts that many girls her age go through as well. It is great that Judy Blume is documenting these events in an entertaining way. When we can relate to a book like this, it makes us feel not so alone in the world and realize that we are not the only ones going through these events. Using the language she uses throughout this book should not be a problem because it is realistic.
Cassidea Avery
Judy Blume's _Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?_ is considered to be a problem novel. Because of this many people think of it as a simple book and therefore "not good". I do not agree with this statement because problem novels are essential to pre-teens and adolescents because they are able to relate to them so easily.
ReplyDeleteThis book is about the different obstacles that young girls experience and think about every day along with their everyday activities. Young girls are usually so excited to grow up because they idealize everything that comes with being a teenager, things such as make-up, freedom, boyfriends, etc. Each of these are topics that are focused on in the book. Margarent has a group of friends and they are each at different levels of development but they all try to fit in and look "cool" to the extent that one girl even lies about when she gets her first period.
Jacqueline Reid-Walsh's article, _Girlhood_ talks about what it means to be a girl and how that term has changed over the years and how difficult it can be to actually define it. It could be in the aspect of biology, or as a gender role. This book perfectly describes what being a young, pre-teen girl was all about in the 70's and it hasn't changed much to this day. I can remember being that age and the girls in my classes always had different exclusive groups that they belonged to, I belonged to a few myself, just like the PTSes in _Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?_ I also remember that there were times when these groups caused some trouble because the girls in them would be mean to other girls outside of the group. The same thing happened with the PTSes in the book. They made fun of another girl in their class and really upset her. This is just another aspect of growing up that can be a problem that is addressed.
These problem novels are generally very popular with the youth because they give them ideas of ways that they can deal with the problems that come with growing up. Sometimes it's hard to talk to other people about these problems, but if you can get the answers that you need from a book then you don't have to be embarrassed about asking someone else. Personally, these types of problems were very hard for me to talk about when I was young since I struggled with being shy, like so many young girls do, so I loved books like these!
Discussion Question: What do you think about problem novels like these? Do you think that they are helpful during the tough pre teen and teenage years?
Aly Fouts
Word Count:460
I agree that this is a ‘problem’ novel. You would think that because it is a children’s/ young adult novel that the problems that Margaret faces would be more straight forward and less of a question, but not so much with this novel. Sure, some things like her physical changes and starting to think about relationships in a more adult and mature way, is very straight forward but not everything. We know throughout the book that Margaret is aware of the outcomes of these things and the only thing she really questions is when these events will happen.
DeleteThe topic in the book that is not so obvious of its outcome is when Margaret talks about religion. She is not only questioning religion, but also what religion she wants to be a part of, which one actually matters to her, why religion gets in the way of her family relationships, whether or not she needs religion and when she should decide or if it is already too late to decide. Margaret focuses more on religion than anything else in the book and it is what stumps her the most. I find the religion topic in the novel to be interesting for a young adult book because it is bringing up a concept that takes time to think about, makes the character have many questions and can also do the same for a reader.
The novel was very well written for a teenager and I think that the problems Margaret faces are more for a teen and can be very useful and informative for a young teenager and possibly make them feel more comfortable with new ideas and physical and mental changes that you experience at that age.
Word count: 290
There are many conflicts in Judy Blume’s novel _Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret_. The problems that the protagonist, Margaret, faces are typical issues that other pre-teens may also have to tackle. Some of the conflicts in the novel deal with religion (or lack there of), family drama, and crushing on boys. One conflict that Margaret struggles with throughout the entire novel is her rate of development. Margaret has concerns about her physical growth, such as her height and chest size, and she also has anxiety about when she will get her period. She waits impatiently for these developments to occur while the girls around her appear to be developing at a faster rate.
ReplyDeleteMargaret’s friends/peers seem to contribute greatly to the fear that she is not developing quickly enough. For example, the first day that Margaret meets Nancy, they discuss their development while Margaret is changing into the bathing suit:
“I left my polo on until the last possible second. I wasn’t about to let her see I wasn’t growing yet. That was my business.
“Oh, you’re still flat.” Nancy laughed.
“Not exactly,” I said, pretending to be very cool. “I’m small boned, is all.”
“I’m growing already,” Nancy said, sticking her chest way out” (7).
In this passage, Margaret is self-conscious about her physical appearance because her chest has not yet begun to grow. This change that young girls go through can be a difficult experience, and their friends may not always be the most supportive. Nancy laughs at Margaret when she notices that she has not started growing yet and boasts about her own progress. This conversation gives the reader a hint towards the kind of character that Nancy is. Do you think Nancy is a character that is more helpful for Margaret or hurtful? Why?
Another instance where Margaret is concerned with her rate of development is when two of her friends get their periods before her. First Gretchen gets it, followed by Nancy (Although, we find out later that she lied.). Margaret receives the news from Nancy through a postcard. As soon as Margaret reads it, she does this:
“I ripped the card into tiny shreds and ran to my room. There was something wrong with me. I just knew it. And there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. I flopped onto my bed and cried” (116).
In this passage, Margaret feels like the farthest thing from normal. She is upset because she has been waiting for her period to come and does not want to be the last of the PTS’s (Pre-Teen Sensations) to get it. Margaret is jealous that Nancy got it before her. The rate of her development is not something she can control and this really bothers her.
Both of the above passages show how the young girl’s process of development can be a difficult and problematic time. Margaret strives to be normal, but cannot reach normalcy if she does not develop at the same rate as her friends. These passages are significant because they show how Margaret’s view of her own development can be influenced by her peers. Margaret constantly compares her own maturity to those around her. Although Margaret is around girls her age that are going through similar changes, she does not find comfort in this. Instead she seems to struggle more because of it. Do you believe that Margaret’s friends (PTS members) have a significant impact on the way she views her own development? How do you think the other characters (Laura, Norman, Mr. Benedict, Moose, Grandma, etc) have influenced Margaret’s view of herself?
Amanda Sheeran
Word Count: 600
Growing up can be a time of constant comparisons of yourself to others. This is a struggle that Margaret in Judy Blume's _Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret._ faces often throughout the novel. For Margaret and her friends it was a race for who would develop breasts or get their period first.
DeleteMargaret's friends including, Nancy and the other "PTS" members, had a major impact on the way she viewed herself because it was a always a competition between the girls. For Margaret, who developed later than her friends, it affected her self-esteem and made her feel abnormal when the other girls were going through puberty sooner than her. Other characters in the book such as boys in her class, like Freddy Barnett and Philip Leroy made Margaret self-conscious by making comments like,"That's a pinch to grow an inch. And you know where you need that inch!" -Philip Leroy (115) or "How come you don't you look like that in a sweater, Margaret?" -Freddy Barnett (64). While at the same time Margaret's Grandma and parents tried to make her feel better about herself and boost her confidence by telling her she looked "pretty" or "grown up."
Self-image and self-esteem are issues that pre-teens often struggle with while they are developing and figuring out the changes that are happening to them. _Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret._ does a good job of capturing the internal despair of a young girl going through puberty and learning to be comfortable in her own skin.
Alison Marek
Word Count: 253