This week we find ourselves reading Harriet the Spy, which is quite the change from our historical readings. It, of course, tells a some sort of real life knowledge about keeping a filter on our inner selves, but I'm more interested on the take of her being a spy.
Harriet while becoming a spy is really learning something our lives now prize: being aware of everything. If she was an adult, would she have been reprimanded for her spying? In the corporate world people are constantly spying on one another like Harriet does and using people's weaknesses against them. They are rewarded and given raises and promotions. Harriet does not use any information on people (until later on for revenge purposes) and instead just keeps them as a private set of thoughts. When her private thoughts are found and read, she essentially gets in trouble. So what does this mean in a society like ours?
Harriet is just being honest and does not want to be the cutthroat like those in the business world would be. We as a society value honestly, or at least say we do, but ask that we also keep it to ourselves if others may not like it. This book seems to being a harsh lesson in that regard. First off, we find out the world is not understanding of our true nature (in this case Harriet's blatant honesty in her notebook). Second, we find out that the world is prone to revenge (the students form a club to act against Harriet and Harriet acts against them, as well). Thirdly, we find out that if we do something not necessarily deemed socially acceptable, but apologize publicly, we can be rewarded (Harriet becomes editor of the school newspaper), which seems an unrealistic ending.
As much as I like this book, I'm not sure if it really is saying anything of value for a youth or even if I'm finding the right meanings behind the actions of the book. We're not only teaching Harriet to keep her honesty to herself, but teaching her how the world reacts badly to honestly. Would we prefer an overly honest world or a sugar coated world?
I really like how you relate the novel to the workplace. Harriet the Spy does seem to be parallel that common controversy on the ethics for employers to spying on their employees regarding their maintenance of productivity and professionalism.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your point regarding her honesty. To me, the "Spy Log" seemed more like a young girl's diary, filled with private thoughts and personal opinions. If anything, they book seems to address: Venture into another individual's privacy, and karma will come back around
I like your points about privacy. I feel like Harriet the Spy would be an interesting option for a modern update-many of the issues we discussed have complications that still apply.
ReplyDeleteI like what you say about the coming-of-age aspects of Harriet. Specifically, how she gets what she's looking for and finds it isn't as great as she'd previously thought. Not only is this basically everyone earth's growing up story, it also makes for an interesting comment on the nature of responsibility. In the end, when people's reputations are on the line, you do owe them a little bit of self-control. This is why I wish Harriet had been punished a little more for her actions - it would've made this harsh lesson really last for her and give her potential for all sorts of growth.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well about the lack of punishment she received in the book, but maybe that's something she learns eventually in life. Even when punished, children don't often learn their lesson; they learn it through experience. Harriet seems a bit spoiled and has a lack of structure somewhat which maybe was done so we don't always "feel bad" for her. Some parents raise their children this way; with nanny's, babysitters, no punishments, etc. and they create children like Harriet. So can you blame Harriet? or do we blame the parents?
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that that this book departs from the genre of historical fiction that we've been concerned with for the past several weeks. Although it's a bit of a stretch, I have a wild idea about how the "spy" narrative in this book might have had historical relevance in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteAmericans had a negative opinion of spies at this time thanks to the Cold War era, the "Red scare, and Senator Joseph McCarthy accusing many innocent Americans of acting as Communist agents. This adds a negative connotation to the act of spying. Still, the entertainment of the day pays homage to the spy as a hero. Hollywood glamorized secret agents (James Bond), other films of the time (such as those of Alfred Hitchcock) involve espionage, and here, literature brings us this precocious 11 year old who is anything but a threat to national security. American attitudes and concerns have an uncanny way of finding their way into the books, shows and movies of their time.
One of the things I like best about this book it that the lesson Harriet learns IS harsh. As you mention, the adult world can be a cutthroat place, and so too can grade school. While there's debate about whether Harriet 'learns her lesson' and about what lessons are to be learned, but her discoveries about the way things work, about how people react to her and how she in turn must react to them, seem realistic. Life doesn't come with sugar coating -- I prefer my kids books the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the really puzzling thing about "Harriet the Spy" - what does it ultimately say about Harriet's writing? It seems that Ole Golly suggests that Harriet must apologize and lie, but remain true to herself. Harriet apologizes, and says that the things written in her notebook that offended people were lies, but this is the real lie. She meant the things she wrote in her notebook, they were true to her, even if they were really, really mean. I feel that perhaps instead of telling white lies while being true to her actual observations, maybe she should reflect on why her judgments of people are often so harsh. Nevertheless, the lesson that we have to consider others feelings is important. That being said, I know I would absolutely lose it if anybody read my private stuff.
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