New Blog! Loss of Innocence... Huck Finn meets Banksy

Here's your first real blog prompt as it relates to our new unit: "Loss of Innocence" During this unit, we will mainly be looking at the topics of alienation, social defiance, and the transition from childhood to adulthood as we encounter the realities of our world. Sounds heavy, right? But it's not!

Your first task is to check out this page I put together that has pictures, news articles, and videos on the street artist named Banksy: Click this link

After you look at the pictures that I've posted of Banksy's art (feel free to do your own google search on Banksy... his art is amazing!) I'd like you to choose one of the following three questions to write a short blog about (remember to read my previous post on the three key essentials to a good blog post):

Option 1: Do you think it's important for young people to be exposed to the harsh (and even cruel or degrading) aspects of our society, in order for them to have a healthy understanding and appreciation of what they have and an empathy for those who have less than them? OR, do you think parents should have a right and obligation to protect young people from that type of 'social corruption'?? Please make reference to the information you learned about the artist Banksy.

Option 2: Is the rebellion against social norms an important obligation for young people? Do we need to ask questions, break rules, and challenge authority in order to improve society? Or, is it important to respect the norms and rules of a society in order to maintain peace, balance, and security? What benefits come from such behaviour (either rebellion or conformity)? Please refer to Banksy in your response.

Option 3: We watched a short news video on taking the "N" word out of "Huck Finn". Does it make sense to protect our society from depictions of  racism or sexism or discrimination? Or should we let artists like Twain and Banksy challenge societal norms in an effort to get us to question our values and moral compass? Please try to refer to the controversy regarding language in Twain's novel AND the issue of street art and graffiti as it relates to Banksy in your response.

Click here to see original page for this image