Reading "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint" through a Social Action Lens!!!

There are many topics that can seem quite elementary when first read, but when delved further into, we can see the true depths of the topic itself. “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” by Brady Udall is full of these social action problems. When noticing these topics for the first time, we see them as “little kid” topics. However, when reread, we see them on a much more mature level. This book also includes an allegory. Brady Udall’s book is full of social action issues.

When we first notice social action issues, we read them on an elementary level. Here are three of the “little kid” social action issues in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint.” Homelessness: Edgar never has a permanent place where he is staying. He moves from hostel to hostel. Racism: Many people are afraid of Edgar or think he is strange looking because he is mixed-racial. Drug abuse: Lots of people at St. Divine’s, Willie Sherman, and other places abuse drugs, and it proves a huge obstacle for Edgar. Now let’s look a little deeper…
When rereading these social action issues, we delve deeper into the text and uncover the feeling behind these issues. Here are some of the roots of Edgar’s motives. Edgar yearns for a real family: Edgar just wants a stable, loving environment. Loneliness: Though he tries not to show it, Edgar’s only true friend was the late Cecil-since he died, Edgar is alone. Fear of reality: Edgar continuously bottles up his fear of the real world-it proves to be one of his main weaknesses. If we, as readers, look further into a text, we can uncover more mature topics.

Lastly, in Udall’s book, there is a prominent allegory. An allegory is when characters or events symbolize real-life events, people, and abstract ideas. The character of the mailman in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” represents the Hope Of Forgiveness. Throughout the entire novel, Edgar searches for this mailman who ran him over when Edgar was a child, and goes through thick and thin to find him to forgive him. When Edgar does find him, however, he learns that he has passed away. This shows Edgar’s loss of Hope. Edgar goes to live in Rosa’s house, and stays quite introverted for the rest of the story.

Overall, it’s clear that in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint,” we notice “little kid” social action issues when reading for the first time, but when rereading, we delve deeper into the text, and find more mature, “grown-up” issues, that can spark the motivations for many of the characters in the book. Maybe if we “reread” our own motivations, we would have a more mature understanding of ourselves.

YA Books Should be Free of All Restraint!!!

Believe it or not, books are still a main focal point of our culture, and have stirred up quite a heated debate between many. Some confused adults feel that certain “gruesome” YA books need to be censored, while others feel that every book should be open to all readers. YA fiction is terrifically essential for our youth and should therefore be free of all restraint. YA fiction keeps magnificent books in kids’ hands, introduces dangerous topics in safe ways, and gives youth a trustworthy “sidekick.” YA books have been persecuted for long enough, and it’s time to set them free!

        First of all, YA fiction is an essential part of our society because it keeps incredible books in kids’ hands. It is mentioned in the knowledgeable article “Should Young Adult Books Have Age Ratings?” by Husna Haq that: “The topic has stirred even more debate in the Blogosphere and Twitterverse where Best-selling author Charlie Higson tweeted, ‘Why was GP Taylor on BBC News suggesting govt introduce measures to keep books out of the hands of kids who want to read them?’” GP Taylor had wanted to introduce age-ratings on YA fiction. Age-ratings make it harder and harder for more mature, advanced, and ambitious readers to find fantastic books to read. However, it is possible that a scarcity of YA books may frighten readers. In the confused article “Darkness Too Visible,” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, Gurdon shows how some bookstores have created PG-15 sections for YA books because of the “Darkness” in the literature. What’s missing from this perspective is the voice of the teens who read these books. They should have the chance to “self-censor.” If age-ratings are put on YA literature, it will make it nearly impossible for kids to read the books they strive to read.

        Second of all, YA fiction is needed by our youth because it introduces dark topics in warm, entertaining, and safe ways. In the article “Should Young Adult Books Have Age Ratings?” by Husna Haq, Haq truthfully mentions that, “Teens look at this darkness all the time, and I always think that if you’re not addressing it in your fiction, then you’re abandoning them to face it themselves.” We should let children learn to face the reality of our cruel, heartless, and dark world, rather than the sugarcoated versions they might find elsewhere. YA fiction is a safe and entertaining alternative to full-on exposure, and can be fun and scintillating. However, it is possible that YA fiction could cause victims of rape, self-harm, or bullying, for example, to experience relapse when reading related literature. This claim is spoken in “Darkness Too Visible.” What is lacking from this argument, however, is that there is little to no evidence provided to support this idea. How do we know this blunt statement isn’t flawed? Gurdon clearly needs to do some more research. As you can see, YA books should be available for all readers because they introduce dark topics in safe ways.

        Lastly, YA fiction should be free of all restraint, because it gives troubled youth a trustworthy “friend” to help “battle the monsters of their lives.” In “Why the Best Kids’ Books are Written in Blood,” by Sherman Alexie, Alexie addresses this reason here: “As a child, I read because books-violent and not, blasphemous and not, terrifying and not- were the most trustworthy things in my life… I read books about monsters… because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in my life.” Books (specifically YA books) can give young, frightened, inexperienced people a weapon to help battle their daily struggles. Why would anyone want to censor such a precious, valuable weapon? Well, it is possible that YA books can create these “monsters.” In “Darkness Too Visible”, it is shown that grotesque topics can put bad ideas in kids’ minds.  Yet in the same article, it says that YA fiction can be a family educator/teacher for these topics. These are two contrasting pieces of evidence and therefore the entire confusing claim is void. It’s obvious that YA books shouldn’t be censored because they give kids a weapon to help battle the daily struggle.

        Overall, YA books are a required part of our literary culture, and should be free of all restraint. I can see how some misguided individuals may argue the opposite, but the positives cancel out the negatives. Books can help you when you’re depressed, crazed, or alone, and can create empathy. Before writing this, I used to think I read because I had to for school, tests, etc., but now I realize that I read because books enlighten me with their ever-changing plots and characters. Without books we would have an inanimate society. Now who would want that?

Blog Post on "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint."

Things don’t always represent what they actually are. Brady Udall proves this theory in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint.” Edgar’s Typewriter, his bicycle, and Brain’s Encyclopedia are all factors of symbolism in this scintillating novel. Symbolism in this book can lead to foreshadowing.

First of all, Edgar’s typewriter shows how symbolism can lead to foreshadowing. The typewriter starts out symbolizing peace. It’s Edgar’s happy place. However, when Edgar first comes to town, Clay notes how heavy the typewriter is. Later on, Edgar is attacked by a very heavy boy who harasses Edgar with the “typewriter” technique. Edgar specifically notes how heavy this boy is-like the typewriter. The heavy typewriter foreshadows harassment.

Second of all, Edgar’s new bicycle also proves how symbolism can lead to foreshadowing. Edgar first receives this bike when he enters the Madsen’s family home. The bike starts off as symbolizing luck and contentedness. Edgar’s time at the Madsen’s starts out great, but when his new bike starts to fall apart, so does the family. Lana is seen having an affair with Barry Pinkley, Clay and Lana fight all the time, Edgar is required to live in the late baby Dean’s room (which is haunted by Dean’s ghost), and much more. The destruction of Edgar’s bike foreshadows the destruction of the Madsen family.

Lastly, Brain’s Encyclopedias prove how symbolism can lead to foreshadowing. At first, the encyclopedias represent knowledge: this is where Edgar goes to learn essential facts of life. However, this “teacher” shows no information on sexual intercourse. Edgar isn’t bothered by this small “mishap’’-but it ends up leading to Edgar’s realization of how little he knows of in this life. At another point in the book when Edgar learns Cecil’s location through the encyclopedia, he goes to see Cecil. He expects to see an alive and healthy boy, but Cecil turns out to have died in a grotesque, unjust way. Even though Brain’s Encyclopedias show Edgar some things that help him, they also show how little he knows in this life.

Overall, it is obvious how symbolism in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” directly relates to foreshadowing. We should stop and notice the little symbols in our lives-they could really change us as a person.

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis!!!

In “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood,” by Sherman Alexie, Alexie wants readers to know that the restriction of Young Adult books is a horrendous idea, and books of all kinds should be open to any child who wishes to read them. One example he gives is of how when he was a child, he read “books about monsters and monstrous things, often written with monstrous language, because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in my life.” Books are needed by Young Adults to form a trustworthy sort of sidekick. Alexie also talks about how he once met a young adult who just wanted to be himself. Just like in Alexie’s book. If Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” had been censored in this young man’s school, he wouldn’t have read it, wouldn’t have wished to be himself, and would’ve joined the army like his father did-instead of becoming the artist he wished to be. Next, Alexie touched upon how people like Meghan Cox Gurdon wish to “save” children from the horrors of real life, when children have really been exposed to reality their whole lives. It’s “too late.” Books can save kids from “monstrous” situations. These examples prove that “YA” Fiction should be free of all restraint.

Alexie hopes to sway readers into the mindset that Young Adult Fiction should be open to readers of all ages. Alexie achieves this by using loaded words/strong language like the example that follows: “[Kids] read because they believe, despite the callow protestations of certain adults, that books-especially the dark and dangerous ones-will save them.” Strong words can really persuade a reader. Alexie also uses figurative language (metaphors, similes, etc.). This is shown here: “I read books about monsters and monstrous things, often written with monstrous language, because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in my life.” There were no “real” monsters in his life, more like tragic, scary, grotesque events. Figurative language is very persuasive. Alexie uses many strategies to sway his readers.

After reading this article, I was left wondering why Mr. Alexie only included anecdotes from his own life? To better prove his already strong claim, he should find quotes from multiple sources. However, Sherman Alexie definitely persuaded me to join his side, and it’s not just because he’s a great author!