Module 2: Are You There God? It's Me Margaret/The Outsiders

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

A.       Margaret is a 6th grader who has recently moved to a New Jersey suburb after living most of her life  in New York.  She quickly makes friend with whom she bonds over the joys and agonies of growing up though she is simultaneously distraught by the categories she does not fit into.  Her family upbringing did not include any form of church and she is trying to reconcile her Jewish and Christian heritage, defined by the opposing forces of both of her sets of Grandparents, while also dealing with social cliques, boys, and puberty.  Her relationship with God is not defined by any religious institution but is rather a series of informal and personal pleas for guidance and help. 

B. Blume, J. (2001). Are you there god? It's me, Margaret. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books.

C. Overall, I would recommend this book.  It contains a very frank discusion of a number of topics that would interest girls of that age, but more importantly, the search for a sense of belonging and to understand is an inherent quality all of humanity can share.  The author never passes judgement on a character for liking something, only on those who try to force conformity.  The overall message is a common one, for one to be who they are and not worry about how many other people feel the same way, but it is executed humorously and well.  The main character doesn't feel the need to pontificate the author's point for any great length of time but rather lets the reader decide what is right and what isn't.  It helps that the author takes a very friendly and open tone with the main character, almost as if she is speaking to the reader.

D. "The concept of a personal relationship with God, rather than a church-based one seems to reflect the younger generation's need for faith in conjunction with their parents' cynicism and rejection of the grandparents' version of religion as divisive and exclusionary. After moving through rejection or apathy, one can arrive at a personal level of faith which requires no service, no ornate or incomprehensible service, no tedious sermons, and no silly hats." -Anne Erickson

Erickson, A. K. (2006). Literary Contexts in Novels: Judy Blume's "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret". Literary Contexts In Novels: Judy Blume's 'Are You There God, It's Me Margaret', 1.

E. In this case, I would either have the kids write a letter, or perhaps a diary if I anticipate a long project, where they address a letter to someone.  It can be anyone they want it to be, their parents, a sibling, a best friend, an imaginary friend, God, or even themselves.  The goal would be to say whatever is on their mind.  While I would allow the kids to share this letter with their peers, they by no means have to.  It would simply be to allow them to put words to their fears, concerns, joys, or triumphs.

The Outsiders

A.       Ponyboy and his group of friends, collectively known as "greasers", are used to getting the short end of the stick.  Most are poor, urban youth who have had a rough life.  Few have any long-term job prospects and even fewer see much of a life beyond stealing, fighting, and the occasional party.  They come into constant conflict with their upper-class counterparts known as "Socs" and it is this conflict that drives much of the plot of the novel.  Ponyboy is a studious kid, and tries to do his best by his brothers Soda and Darry after the death of their parents.  A chance meeting with a Soc girl named Cherry and a fight gone wrong that ends up in the death of her boyfriend causes Ponyboy to begin to question how different the two groups are, and how destructive his gang's path is.  

B.        Hinton, S.E. (2003). The Outsiders. New York, New York: Speak/Penguin Group

C.       This book is as frank about class issues as Blume's work is about religion.  The main character comes off as young but smart and likeable and serves as a good narrator for this world that many never consider.  The book is a little dated and references to drive-in movies, soda shops in a drugstore, and 60's era cars may not resonate with the kids of today.  Despite this, the message of our similarities is well thought out, and the honesty with which it is presented does much more to illustrate this idea than any number of speeches or lectures.  The characters are idealized in the beginning but are slowly conveyed with more humanity as we learn more about their pasts, emotions, and fears.  It has all of the workings of a classic.

D. "Hinton has stated that she wrote The Outsiders because it was the kind of story that she wanted to read. Tired of books filled with clichés and obligatory happy endings, she longed to write stories about real people with real problems, hoping to earn the respect of her audience by giving them stories to which they could relate." -Martel Sardina

Sardina, M. (2010). The Outsiders. Masterplots, Fourth Edition, 1-3. 

"The greasers and Socs of the novel represent two clear socioeconomic groups in this world, and their ignorance and hatred of each other are what lead to the class warfare. Differences are created by social class, Hinton says, but underneath these superficial differences are people who share more than what separates them." -David Peck

Peck, D. (2006). The Outsiders. Magill’S Survey Of American Literature, Revised Edition, 1-2.

E.      A good activity might be a group discussion where we effectively try to chart what the differences between the rich and the poor are.  The goal would be to try to illustrate what each group thinks about the other and hopefully get the kids to think about why they feel the way they do and why another group might feel the way they do.