OK, so say you may not read other books with a different race then yours because you have trouble relating, how many people has that been the case? Well how about me, or my other friends that aren't white, I -at least- am barely able to relate to these characters (because they are white), but I still read them, because this style of reading happen to be the only one that I enjoy. And the majority of these books, especially famous books, that are open to me, the main characters are white. So I am enjoying a book, but am not being able to relate to my culture at the same time. This is the case for about every book I read.
Always look at things the other way around. If something is a certain way for you, how is it for other people?
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I don't think that's the problem. Millions of non-black people enjoyed The Color Purple, for example. Or Toni Morrison, who I think is terrific.
ReplyDeleteRemember, too, that people are perfectly happy reading about people from other planets. So it's not that everyone is close-minded or afraid.
As you said, it's basically all that's out there, and that's because of the publishing houses choosing which books to publish and which to promote based on what a bunch of old white guys in New York think we want. Once the demand picks up, the supply will as well - that's how the economy works.
Most people aren't aware that there aren't books about people who aren't white. It's all they've ever known, so they don't realize it's an issue. That's why you are doing an important thing here, getting people to be aware that this is going on.
I think you should raise another issue.
ReplyDeletesexism in books. notice how more often than not THE main character is a girl. OK usually theres a guy w/ her, but hes always like, her sidekick. ppl think of sexism as only against girls, but guys get it too. u may say that well only girls read the books. So, the fact that there are more books with girls as the main character than guys means...wat, that girls read more? that theyre smarter? whatever happened to equality among races? oh rite, it NEVER EXISTED apparently.
yea, publishers are more likely to go with the safe book, and unfortunately, they tend to be close minded, but the point of a book is to not relate to step out of what you know and to be interested in something new, so im going to harsh on both sides, kloe you dont have to relate, if its a good book it should be fun to read no matter what, step out of your comfort zone, but also that works both ways, soooooooo as a reader, i dont really care, as someone whos aware of race and the problems that come with it its hard and worth looking at.
ReplyDeleteso thats it everyone's right and everyone's stupid, basically