Laura Ingalls Wilder unapproved!!

[IrmaFayLear]

www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/24/laura-ingalls-wilders-name-removed-from-book-award-over-racial-concerns

I know the books contain "unenlightened" views, but this book was of the time. If all racist views and comments are deleted from literature/history, then how are people supposed to know they ever existed?

The Ingalls family were pioneers - or settlers if you will. They were afraid - for genuine reasons - of "red Indians". Were the Native Americans in the right? 100%.

I don't want half-witted knee-jerk censorship. Frankly just about everything is going to have to be "unapproved" if we go down this road. The past is another country, not a country that didn't exist.

[FlibbertyGiblets]

Not blacklisted. The award previously in her name has been renamed.

[dinosaursandtea]

Yeah, that’s not blacklisting

[lljkk]

The books weren't even written by LIW, they were almost certainly written by her daughter, and they are heavily fictionalised. It's not like the books have been banned, people will still read the books to get a feel of the pioneer lifestyle (I never read any until I was an adult but liked them for the portrayal of domestic life, I am a descendent of prairie settlers).

The children's literary award is being updated, which is reasonable to do from time to time.

[SlothSlothSloth]

Names of things change. Although I loved her books as a child, they are, naturally, very dated. Children can still continue to read them now - no-one has “deleted” them, as you put it. I don’t see a problem with the change.

[DN4GeekinDerby]

It's not really knee-jerk, renaming and updating this award has been a long time in the works. No one is asking for the books (and the many many spinoffs, there are have books about her daughter, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother for years now along with the cookbook and all that) to be erased but, for an award, they probably want someone who encompasses what they currently represent. If they don't feel Laura Ingalls Wilder does that any longer, there are many other better American authors they could use if they feel the need to name an award after an author at all.

They're kinda American classics, I read them repeatedly as a child/teen as comfort reading, but really, ignoring the issues of her views or that her family openly illegally settled repeatedly or how the heavy fictionalization has meant the timeline makes no sense with itself or reality, the books aren't really that good. They're fun light reading for many but changing the name of an award or even ignoring her books because there are books we like better doesn't mean people are trying to erase history.

[NomNomNomNom]

As others have said she isn't being censored or black listed but the award has been renamed.

[FeckTheMagicDragon]

What’s it been renamed to?

[FeckTheMagicDragon]

Too?

[Daddystepdaddy]

Were the native Americans in the right?

Is that a serious question?

[TulipsInAJug]

The books weren't even written by LIW, they were almost certainly written by her daughter, and they are heavily fictionalised

Fictionalised yes, to an extent, but they were not written by Rose Wilder Lane. Rose helped her mother with editing but Laura had full autonomy.

I couldn't disagree more that the books are 'dated'. I have recently re-read all of them - they are classics of American literature, as well as important social histories. There is no racism in them - the family were afraid of the native Americans because there was a war going on at the time between settlers and the Osages - there had been a massacre of white people around the time Laura was born.

Agree with you OP, such a shame that these wonderful classics are now deemed politically incorrect.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I don't think the books were written by her daughter, TBH - I know the arguments, but it doesn't ring true to me when you read what the daughter wrote on her own. Anyway. Why not rename the award? Nice to have a change.

I think the race/gender issues in the books are really fascinating. Disturbing, but fascinating.

[DN4GeekinDerby]

The 'Children’s Literature Legacy Award' which is probably longer lasting than using an author's name.

[dingdongdigeridoo]

Her books have certainly aged badly. Although I don’t think the decision is purely based on racial stereotypes. There’s a lot of speculation about whether she wrote even a fraction of her books. Re-reading them as an adult, they don’t hold up as well as a lot of classics.

Anyone interested in LIW should read Prairie Fires, a recent bio about her and her daughter. It was interesting to see how she vocals opposed things like the New Deal in later life.

[lljkk]

I liked the one I read for period detail, but as literature for modern kids: it was dead boring. My kids also didn't take to Tom Sawyer and a few other classics I tried with them (3/4 DC are book worms, btw, still didn't take to these old books).

[PimlicoWaif]

Were the Native Americans in the right? 100%

That's a joke, right?

Google the Trail of Tears, for heaven's sake.

[RhythmStix]

I agree with Tulips.

[DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops]

I think the new name will be more sensible as authors go in & out of fashion. But I love LIW. I don't find it racist; it is of a time and is told from the PoV of a little girl who has a genuine, valid fear of the Native Americans. She doesn't need to know the politics of it, just that these people can & will hurt her.

The most moment for me is the instance in "The Long Winter" (I think?) where Pa and his chums black-up. That's a scene that really hasn't aged well.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

It's not particularly Laura who has a fear of Indians. Her mother absolutely does. The implication most of the time is that Laura is fascinated by them, though this is definitely not more acceptable to contemporary racial politics.

[placemats]

Does this mean Of Mice and Men is no long relevant as well? It does contain the N word.

[Onceuponatimethen]

I found them wonderful and have reread a lot and do as an adult as well. They are great yarns for one thing.

Who could forget Ma slapping the bear? The corncob doll? Pa finding the Wilder brothers’ fake partition hiding their grain?

I am fine with the award being renamed as I think there are other excellent authors out there but no need to say she is awful when she’s good.

And yes I don’t like what she says about native Americans but I don’t like the anntisemitusm so prevelant in many classic novels and I still happily read those (and I have a part Jewish family).

[Thesearepearls]

Who reads this stuff nowadays? It's nowhere on any GCSE course that I am aware of (please correct if not) and no-one reads this stuff to their DCs - it's irrelevant all round

PS If anyone thinks that I am in tune with the views of native americans expressed in those damn awful novels that have no literary merit whatsoever - they would be very wrong. Pretty ghastly that an indiginous people were exterminated.

[lljkk]

The worship on MN of LIW books bewilders me. I must ask if anyone I know IRL has ever read any of them (I suspect not).

OM&M wasn't written to be children's literature. OM&M strives to portray both best & worst of human nature.

[UkuleleRose]

I highly recommend Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura, upon which her children's books were based. It also addresses the notion that Rose wrote her mother's books.

[Thesearepearls]

I have actually read them

It's just they're totally without any literary merit. I don't much like Milton for example (ghastly bloke0 and those thundering alexandrines do my head in. But he has literary merit at least.

These novels deserve to die. And should not be mourned.

[SoftSheen]

I completely disagree that these books have aged badly. They are true classics. I recently re-read the first three with my 6/7 year old and she loved them. There are many fascinating details of a Pioneer family's life in the late nineteenth century. The portrayal of Native Americans provided useful discussion points. Laura's mother is, at times, racist, and it is clear that her racism originates from both ignorance and fear of being killed (some white settlers were actually killed).

The book describes a time when people's roles in life were very much determined by their gender. However, Laura herself is a strong, capable character who knows her own mind, and is often daring and courageous. Therefore I don't agree that the books are sexist.