That's so interesting - I was forced to read Steinbeck (not that I didn't enjoy his writing). But my English teacher this year stated he felt many books (specifically in my school district) are introduced too early. I read Song of Solomon my sophomore year, and he said he believed this was too early to grasp the book fully. I wonder if my school system is an outlier in the books they choose for us to read. Maybe they just love Toni Morrison.
I don't think TKAM doesn't focus on unpleasant themes - it overlaps in many places with topics Morrison would cover. I do, however, think that Beloved is much more graphic than TKAM. The point I guess I was trying to make is that books that make people confront the cruelty of humanity in the past in such a visceral way are sometimes avoided for that reason. I also don't mean to say that everyone should have read this specific book because I like it, I more mean that I was surprised it may not be taught as much. But, to your point, there are reasons for that.
SurroundAcceptable85 OP t1_iwul6lp wrote
Reply to comment by mydarthkader in Not really a reader, but... by SurroundAcceptable85
That's so interesting - I was forced to read Steinbeck (not that I didn't enjoy his writing). But my English teacher this year stated he felt many books (specifically in my school district) are introduced too early. I read Song of Solomon my sophomore year, and he said he believed this was too early to grasp the book fully. I wonder if my school system is an outlier in the books they choose for us to read. Maybe they just love Toni Morrison.