Reading and Spirituality

My mother and grandmother are responsible for teaching me to read. Soon after I learned to talk, Mom taught me my ABC’s by using the ABC song. Before I turned four, Mom says I learned to read Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik, which was my first book. I remember Mom and Grandma always had more than enough books for us to read, but that did not stop me for begging for a new book every time we visited the local five and dime. I remember Grandma and Mom reading to my sister and I with expression and different voices for each character. Grandma also bought us a monthly subscription to Highlights magazine, which I loved. Once she had personalized books made for us. Other personal library books that I owned were the Dr. Seuss books, a Bible stories book, and several Little Golden Books. However, my favorite books were the Disney books that came with a thirty-three inch vinyl record. They were read along books that would ding when it was time to turn the page. I also remember my sister and I watched quite a bit of “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company,” and “Zoom,” because Mom always had the television tuned in to PBS (there was no cable back then).

When I first began school, everything I learned from watching “Sesame Street” was reinforced at school. Our teachers had oversized air-filled letter characters from the show. We would listen to songs and stories featuring the letter of the week. Then, we would be given a coloring sheet with the letter on it and would color it in class. It would go home with us, and we would use magazines and catalogues to cut out pictures of items and people, which began with the featured letter. These were pasted on the coloring sheet and returned to school. Once we arrived, we were called in front of the class to explain what items were on our sheets. As I progressed in elementary school, I remember singing and singing. We would sing of stories we read, sing about grammar rules, and sing tongue twisters. The first readers I used were the Dick, Jane, and Spot readers. I also remember the very first time I was asked to diagram a sentence was in the third grade. My teachers read to us in class, and had each student to take turns reading aloud. Throughout school, I had both oral and non-oral book reports due in class. When we had an oral report over an autobiography, the teacher would have us to dress up like the character we had read and written about. Off-hand, the only instructional strategy that I did not enjoy much was writing the vocabulary sentences five times each. Due to there always being twenty words, I was often up past bedtime working on the sentences. Overall, the teachers seemed to believe that the way to get a child in my elementary school to learn to read was to use a lot of repetition, as well as to reinforce what we may have seen elsewhere.

There was not much to do when the weather was bad so we read the same books over and over again. Some of the ones I enjoyed most were the illustrated Bible stories that filled our library. I grew up reading these books, which I feel gave me a good Christian foundation to build upon. Literacy further strengthened this foundation, because I was able to sing hymns that were lesser known to me. Singing has always been my outlet, and songs help me work through problems and emotions that I may face. Today, reading impacts my spiritual life by bringing me even closer to life as a Christian. Through reading I get more of a sense of what my role as a Christian is in the world. Furthermore, reading has given me more of an outlook on where we have been as a human race and how far we have come. It also gives me insight into how much farther we have to go as Christians in this mixed up world that we live in. I also enjoy reading books on Christianity and faith, such as Pilgrim Heart and Extravagant Grace. This, too, gives me more insight into God’s will for us as Christians.

Insight is what I get most from reading. Therefore, I love to read and encourage reading in my home. My children and I choose short stories, which we read to one another at least once a week. I read a variety of materials, such as magazine articles, research articles, novels, poetry, plays, scientific magazines, books on faith, non-fiction (mostly historical), and even children’s books. Yes, I did say children’s books; I like to know what my children are reading. I have found if we have read the same book, it can help foster many discussions. I am fairly secure with my ability to read a variety of texts that affect my daily life.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Chris Crutcher’s novel Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a riveting novel about the pains of growing up both in a dysfunctional home and as an outsider in the teen scene. This touching story is packed full of believable characters and believable situations. It is a novel that often is considered for censorship, but is also a novel that could teach a great deal to young adults. It is a novel that can change the worlds of so many people who may need compassion and a helping hand.

For many young adults, growing up is painful, and compassion is difficult to find. According to Childhelp, an organization dedicated to meet the various needs of abused children, over three million cases of child abuse are reported each year. However, “experts estimate that the actual number of incidents of abuse and neglect is 3 times greater than reported” (Childhelp). This is a larger problem than many would like to admit, but Crutcher has done a great job bringing this issue to the forefront in this novel. Both Sarah Byrnes and Dale Thornton live with the problems, which arise from being raised in an abusive home. Sarah is a prankster who laughs at everything. Dale is a bully that passes on the abusive treatment he has received and learned from his father. They both have built up a wall between themselves and the world. Neither child has an adult they can trust, and they are both fully aware that telling what happens in their homes would only cause more trouble. As we learn more about Sarah’s father, it becomes quite clear why the child would fake a catatonic state.

Though it is hard for many people to understand why a child would rather spend time in a psychiatric hospital than their own home, people who have been in Sarah’s situation know when there is too much physical pain, a person will do almost anything to get away from it. Her situation is just as believable as every other situation in the book. Crutcher’s background as a therapist has served him well in writing this novel. Amazingly, Sarah does not pity herself the way she does the children who have the emotional and mental scarring inside; she does not believe she is like them. It is not until she writes the letter to Eric that she begins to realize that she acts tough and mean to hide her own pain. Sarah is not the only character whose true-to-life dysfunctional family is noticeable. Mark’s family, though not physically abusive, is just as dysfunctional than Sarah’s. Mark’s father pushes him so hard to be the perfect son that he makes bad decisions which leads to his suicide attempt. Though the father feels he is a good Christian man he has forgotten the words of his Messiah, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). The pressure from Mark’s father has deterred the young man from his Christian responsibility to uphold the rules set down in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, which basically says we should not fornicate. Sure Mark can spin a fine yarn as he stands upon his pulpit preaching about the sins of abortion; however, he does not seem to be able to practice what he preaches. Is this situation believable? Yes, it is common for people to fail to be able to refrain from the sins they preach against. This is seen every day in newspaper headlines across the country.

Another situation that makes the novel believable is the situation with Carver. He goes after Virgil Byrnes and ends up beating him in a questionable bout of self-defense. Many novels give the happy ending to the hero that caught the ‘bad guy,’ but Crutcher does not give the happy ending we are expecting; Carver does receive some jail time. Another unhappy ending component is that Sarah’s mom refuses to save her daughter from ongoing pain and suffering, both physical and emotional. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “Mothers are found to be the neglectful parent in 72% of neglect cases.” All of the other situations in the novel are believable as well. According to Contemporary Authors Online Chris Crutcher has said, “It is a joy to write a tale that is believable, that is real.” Crutcher goes on to state, “Working in the mental health field provides me with some unique perspectives on the human drama – how people get stuck and how they grow” (Contemporary). Crutcher’s novel Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is unique because of this perspective that he feels so fortunate to have.

Although the characters are believable and the novel is unique, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is often considered for censorship. In 2005 a mother in Westmoreland, New York wanted the novel to be pulled from the high school curriculum due to its “graphic language.” Though she took her attempt to the school board the superintendent Toni Kulak stated, “We’re going to continue to use the book because we think it’s valuable to our students” (School, 20). Though the novel does have some strong language and the issues raised in the novel may make people a bit uncomfortable and on edge, the novel is a powerful novel about the hardships many young adults face. This novel can give a teacher of young adults many opportunities for class discussion. For instance, in a school with high pregnancy rates, a sexual education teacher could use the novel as an outlet for class discussion about the effects of unprotected sex and abortion. Similarly, in a school where bullying is an issue, the teacher can use the novel to spark discussion on how Sarah must have felt when she was called “Scarface” by her peers, or how Eric must have felt when people called him “Moby” or “Fatboy.” There are many other topics for potential discussion in the novel. Censoring a novel with so much potential for molding young minds into compassionate minds would be a critical mistake.

Though Crutcher’s novel is marketed as a novel for young adults, the novel is suitable for adults. This novel is packed full of believable situations that many people can relate to. It can be used to teach adults and young adults about the hardships of growing up in an environment that they may not have experienced. It can be a tool for young adults who are experiencing such living environments to realize they need to learn to trust other adults, and not all adults are bad. Furthermore, the book can be used as a valuable tool for every high school classroom. In conclusion, this novel is a powerful novel that can change the world of many adults, both young or old.

The Winds Which Stir Antonio

Though it does not play the most important role in Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, wind does play a significant part in the story. Throughout this coming of age story, important changes become predictable through the wind. This symbol is used as both a foreshadowing tool, as well as a metaphor. When Anaya, mentions “wind,” the reader can rest assured that the story’s protagonist, Antonio is about to experience an event that will leave an impression on his soul. The type of wind that Antonio speaks of can also predict the nature of such events. The winds that stir Antonio strip away his innocence and help him to realize that he is in control of his destiny. They lead to spiritual growth and understanding. These winds gave Antonio a deeper understanding and knowledge than his peers.

In the first chapter, Anaya refers to the wind on two different occasions. The first is during the birth of Antonio, when his parents’ families feuded over the future of the newborn. However, when Antonio first meets Ultima, Anaya uses the wind in a more significant manner. To Antonio, this meeting was the beginning of the changes that were to come. He says, “She took my hand, and I felt the power of a whirlwind sweep around me” [italics mine] (12). From this point on, Antonio began to see the world in a new and exciting way.

Unfortunately, the winds in Bless Me, Ultima do not always bring forth enjoyable changes for the young boy. Though the wind brings changes that cause positive spiritual growth, they tend to do so in a more ominous manner. In chapter six, Antonio describes the dark, evil power of the wind or dust devils. All of Antonio’s acquaintances know the unnatural, evil power of these vicious winds; therefore, they ward the devils off with “the sign of the cross.” Out of curiosity, Antonio purposely does not ward off the dust devil and says after he was struck by the wicked wind, “its evil was left imprinted on my soul” (55). Afterward, Antonio takes his first step toward losing his innocence. He now enters school where he begins his long, tumultuous quest of learning.

More innocence is lost as Antonio’s family learns of a curse that has been put on an uncle, Lucas. He had happened upon the Trementia sisters, known witches, celebrating their black mass. During this encounter, the wind was dreary and cold, which gives a sense of death. The winds are just as menacing as Pedro, Antonio, and Ultima travel to free Lucas from his curse. All around the trio, a brutal dust storm violently rips through the landscape. The skies are dark. This gives the reader with an impending sense of doom and wickedness. The events that followed signified an important turning point in Antonio’s life. This was when Antonio first began to question God and his faith. Antonio could not understand how Ultima had the power to free Lucas from his curse, but God did not. This moment caused a struggle between faith and magic that would follow Antonio throughout the book. Another important event that lead to significant change and reinforced the struggle between magic and faith was the death of Narciso. Before his death, Narciso challenged the blizzard, or, in order to warn his friend, Ultima, of Tenorio’s threat on her life. This cold, fierce, blinding north wind was symbolic for the death that was soon to follow. However the death that coincided with the blizzard was not only the death of Antonio’s friend, but also the symbolic death of his admiration of his older brother Andrew.

Though other winds blow throughout the book, the winds in the final chapter bring an end to this particular journey in Antonio’s life. The winds here bring forth peace and clarity.  His father, for the first time, allows Antonio to be free to choose his future. He tells the young boy that he is descended from people “who held the wind as brother, because he is free” (247). His father goes on to tell him that his mother is from the earth and the two are often “at odds” with one another. Furthermore, the final winds in Bless Me, Ultima are mournful and serene, and they are even found in Ultima’s final words. She tells Antonio he will be able to find her in the gentle winds of the evening (261). This final change and final mention of the wind had brought Antonio closer to maturity than his peers. It left him stripped from his innocence and in control of his future.

Works Cited

Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central, 1972.