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Journalism of Courage
One of the most censored and challenged books of all time, for its frank depiction of adolescent anxiety around puberty and the influence of religion on a young mind, Judy Blume’s 1970 middle-grade sensation, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, is finally getting a film adaptation of the same name.
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig and starring Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates, the film released last week in US markets (Indian theatres might need to wait a little longer). Early reviews are in and an entire generation (or two) of fans is heaving a huge sigh of relief: the reviews of the one hour-51 minute film have been mostly favourable.
An obvious reason why the book became the hit it did was its lack of moralistic discussion about how Margaret, an 11-year-old girl raised in a non-religious family by a Christian mother and Jewish father, dealt with two questions: “Which religion should I choose?” and “When will I get my first period?” She forms a group with other girls where they speculate on menstruation, discuss sanitary pad purchases, boys they have a crush on, and how to increase the size of their breasts. Margaret prays to God (one free of religious affiliation) every night, and wants her questions answered.
These questions resonated with many young readers, especially girls, who grew up with doubts about menstruation and puberty which were unaddressed at home, leading to misconceptions about their changing bodies. Margaret’s parents are kind and honest and refuse to sweep questions under the rug. When she is anxious about her delayed period, they reassure her. When grandparental pressure is applied to choose an organised religion, they defend her. By the end of the novel, she develops a healthier relationship with God and her body.
Blume’s protagonist is partly autobiographical. Her family wasn’t like Margaret’s, but she related to the character’s uncertainties about puberty and her direct line to God, one which had “little to do with organized religion,” according to a note on her website.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has featured in the American Library Association’s list of 100 most often challenged books in American schools in the 1990s and 2000s, alongside other beloved writers like Roald Dahl, JK Rowling, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, RL Stine and Stephen King.
When asked what could have led to the book’s frequent ban, Blume, 85, writes on her website, “I believe that censorship grows out of fear, and because fear is contagious, some parents are easily swayed. Book banning satisfies their need to feel in control of their children’s lives. This fear is often disguised as moral outrage. They want to believe that if their children don’t read about it, their children won’t know about it. And if they don’t know about it, it won’t happen… Books that make kids laugh often come under suspicion; so do books that encourage kids to think, or question authority; books that don’t hit the reader over the head with moral lessons are considered dangerous.”
