Rubyfruit Jungle: A Literary Analysis

“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is how Dr. Seuss thought of reading, and I think of it in much the same way. Literacy is everywhere and influences us every day, therefore, it plays a major part in each of our lives. I believe that reading is an interactive activity in which learning happens, or as Clay (2001) defines it, “…a message-getting, problem-solving activity” (p. 1). Reading is the process through which one reads information and from doing so, constructs meaning about the material. The more exposure and practice one has with reading, the more knowledge one gains. In this paper, I will begin by discussing my own personal educational philosophy, then continue by stating and explaining four of my beliefs about the reading process and the research that is found to support each of them before sharing the remaining questions I have about literacy. I am an existentialist, and a strong supporter of a balanced literacy approach. My beliefs about literacy come from these foundations and perspectives that I embrace. For students to be successful in their literacy development, I believe that identity acceptance in the classroom is crucial, instruction for all students must be differentiated, direct and explicit instruction is at times necessary, and vocabulary is a significant component in the ‘Big Five’ of children’s literacy development.

Richard Rodriguez, in the passage “Remedial Reading” from his autobiography “Hunger of Memory”(1982), promotes active reading as a developer of one’s mind. He justifies his position by describing his initial experiences with reading, specifically his attachment to the reading. Rodriguez’s anecdote functions as an encourager of stubborn minds trying to read and displaying its potential to change their life for the better. Rodriguez uses a very descriptive style that may be too verbose for children but compliments the verbosity with enough explanation of his purpose for his message to be known or ascertained.

I never understood the point of reading. My parents first introduced my siblings and I to its world at the early age of two. We were familiarized with letters, taught to link sound the visual and formed words with a stuttering start. We became accustomed to the quiet of Tuesday nights when my father would sit huddled on the sofa – my mother curled up in bed – his long nose buried in a novel, a black curtain cascading from her head to the pages, morphing into one with their respective books. As the night drew close the browns of their eyes would light up, while my mother’s red lips would quiver with excitement and my father would flash a lopsided smile. “Reading is an adventure,” they’d

    Rita Mae Brown's first novel, Rubyfruit Jungle made waves when it was first released in 1973. Its influence has not gone away over the years and is in its seventh printing. While mainstream critics failed to acknowledge Rubyfruit Jungle in their papers, magazines and discussions on contemporary literature, there are plenty of non-mainstream voices to fill the void. While these lesser-known sources are not always credible, and certainly not always accurate they have created a word-of-mouth reputation of the novel and have facilitated its continuous success.

Reading is the beginning of every child’s learning. The basis of education begins with learning to read. Short (2010) explained that literature acts as “an inquiry to life” and a “way of knowing” (p. 50). However, in order to support children’s learning, it is essential to show children that learning is interesting from a young age. When Short first began teaching using worksheets and a basal reading program, she wrote, “I often felt that children were learning to read in spite of me” (p. 49). The students were not learning to think critically. However, when she began introducing literature circles to her students, she saw them “critically exploring their understandings with each other” (p. 49).

Each of the concepts in the article, “Books for Young Readers” addresses the goal of student interest and engagement in reading. The section, “Ways of Reading” talks about balancing the personal and pedagogical responses to reading, which is not easy to achieve. Laura Jimenez and Kristin Mcilhagga are refreshingly open and honest in discussing their lesson on children’s historical fiction where they used the graphic novel, Storm in the Barn, by Matt Phelan. The book served their pedagogical objectives, but neither Lisa nor Kristin liked the book themselves and their students noticed. When asked if they liked the book, they had to admit that they did not. Educators must put themselves in their students’ position when seeking interesting and

* Understand that the purposes texts serve shape their structure in predictable ways (ACELA1447), (ACARA, 2012). ‘The Very Cranky Bear’ (Bland, 2011) is an appropriate instructional book for year one as its plot is straightforward and is easy to follow for young readers. The story follows the predictable narrative pattern of orientation, complication and resolution (Derewianka & Jones, 2012). The story finishes on a positive note and the end of the book is apparent which makes it enjoyable for early readers. Literature that is not directed at the children’s level of reading could de-motivate their desire to keep reading. They may not comprehend the story and become bored or distracted very quickly (Anderson et al. 1985, Stahl, 1998).

Literature is a powerful and persuasive tool. History holds the proof that a well-written novel, even a work of fiction, has the power to profoundly impact society. One such novel is Upton Sinclair’s 1906 expose of the American immigrant, infamously titled The Jungle. The story is of the trials and tribulations of a Lithuanian family struggling to earn a living in the slaughterhouses of Chicago. The issues faced by this family are some of the most disturbing fictional depictions of the lower class, and some of the most well-read in the past century. The Jungle, now hailed as a literary masterpiece, is credited with being the reason for the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act of the early 1900’s (Ewers). Though Sinclair’s story

Literature is one of the biggest ways that student learns about the real life world, and problems that they can face. Teachers and children should be in control of what the students read, not the parents. The community should trust their teachers, they know the curriculum and how to teach them and the students won’t be able to learn what is bad in the real world. Except the parents might not want their children to know about words and concept at young ages. The community and parents have no right to decide whether students read books or not.

Struggling readers have difficulties remaining engaged during literacy lessons across the country due to stigma associated with independent reading texts as well learning content that is too difficult for them to understand (Ivey & Johnston, 2013; Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000). Stigmas associated with upper elementary school aged children are significantly below grade level the texts have a different appearance: more pictures, thinner spine due to shorter text. These texts are often considered less desirable and some strugglers have been known to call them “baby” books, unable to understand grade level texts, or having a lack of choice in their independent reading (Cambria & Guthrie, 2010).

This point of view is helpful to understand the approach we must adopt with children to spread the love of reading.

There is no question that a connection between reading and writing exists. Although, to what degree does one have to be immersed into literature for it to influence students’ writing experiences? Some ideas to help formulate answers and support this connection can be found in the two following articles in which, authors address the relationship between reading and writing. In the first piece titled The Reading-Writing Connection, author Olness (2005) offers insight to this connection by assembling many teachers and researchers information on the connection between reading, writing, and the value of quality children’s literature. Olness provides examples and ideas of how to successfully join reading with writing in the classroom. In

As the child moves up in his/her grades, it will become not only the child’s responsibility but rather the parents as well to keep the child engaged in reading as much as possible by exposing them to different genres of literature. Harste (2003) mentions, “Students tick off subjects like it is a checklist: “Taken earth science; done with that” (pg 11). Thinking back to when I was in high school, I was guilty of doing this. My mission was to graduate; do no more, do no less. Only doing what was required and there not being a specific teacher around to enforce reading it was not on my mind to occasionally pick up a good book and just read.

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”, a truthful quote by the African-American social reformer and writer, Fredrick Douglas said. Nowadays, many of our children have a negative attitude towards reading in schools. They are forced to read literature they may not like. With the increase of our children using the internet for video games, they have not had time to discover literature they like. So schools should provide an opportunity for our children to discover literature they will like. A designated reading time in all elementary and secondary schools must be mandatory because it expands knowledge, stimulates creativity, and teaches life skills.

From a young age children are exposed to many different ways of literature. They are starting with simple books like picture books, and books with easy simple context. That kind of books are served for teaching purposes and getting them ready for greater literature. As they grow older, they are starting to explore other genres of books, the ones that send them to curiosity of the subject, and the whole book. The world of books prepares the individuals from very early age to discover true importance of literature: being able to appreciate and understand situations from many perspectives. Literature has power that every person can understand it differently and from a different perspective. As literature