Talking Points #4

Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us by: Linda Christensen

Quotes:
1.)“When we read children’s books, we aren’t just reading cute little stories; we are discovering the tools with which a young society is manipulated.”

This quote is what the whole article is about. When we are children we watch and read all these stories when we are little and we do not think about the stereotypes that are in there. These ideas of ‘normalcy’ get put into our heads and we grow up thinking that that is how life is. Now that we are older we see that these are other peoples’ ideas that have been put into our heads. We thought we were just watching an innocent little cartoon or reading a fun story.

2.)“The idea of not being completely responsible for how I feel about things today is scary.”

Now reading this article I believe that this is how most of us feel. The fact that my thoughts about certain people is based off of how someone else feels makes me feel manipulated. Which is what my other quote says is what happens to us. It is weird to think that while watching our ‘fun’ cartoons on Saturday mornings we were really just being shown the way to think about ourselves and the people around us.

3.)“People of color and poor people are either absent or servants to the rich, white, pretty people.”

If we look back onto the books we have read and shows we have watched as children we come to notice how real this quote is. In society today this is sadly how some people look at people of color. This quote relates to Delpit because it is stating how there is a ‘culture of power.’ There has never been a princess that is of color, until recently and there is still controversy surrounding it. These shows also portray people that are fat as being stupid. These shows might be going based off of what society is, but they do put ideas in our heads of how to think of people.

Comments:
I found this article very opening, which is not a surprise cause everything we read in this course is like that. I have never found the things I read to and watched as a kid would have formed the way I see people. But when I think about it, they have. It relates to Delpit by proving that there is a ‘culture of power.’ And the culture of power is white people. When we are young we do not think of these ‘innocent’ books and shows as being manipulative. I haven’t even thought of being manipulated in my childhood until now. So, are these books and shows just going based off of society or are they trying to manipulate us?