So many people mistake the words they are reading as a tool to promote what the book is talking about. The drug use written throughout the book is not appropriate for middle school or elementary, but should be permitted for high school level. As alice set off to the library to research drugs, she ran into the guy who helped her the night she got drugged, bill, who asked her out on a date. Oct 06, 2011 go ask alice is a memoir that follows the diary of a teenage girl during the late sixties. Oh dear god, help me adjust, help me be accepted, help me belong, dont let me be an outcast and a drag on my. Dec 08, 2011 after reading go ask alice and preparing a research project on it, i feel that the biggest reason books are banned is because of depiction vs. Nov 20, 2003 based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction.
Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction. She is a pretty typical teenage girl in the late 1960sshes mostly concerned with school, boys, her hair, and fitting in okay, thats pretty typical for any decade when her fathers new job causes her family to move across the country, alice is thrust into a new school at a time when she is at best. For thirtyfive years, the acclaimed, bestselling firstperson account of a teenage girls harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. After reading go ask alice and preparing a research project on it, i feel that the biggest reason books are banned is because of depiction vs. Creating film adaptations for movies has become very common because directors can be sure that their target audiences are intrigued by the topic of their future film. Lyrics in the song white rabbit by the band jefferson airplane 2. I think you mean go ask alice by anonymous aka beatrice sparks, but anywho.
I am always on the look out for classics and banned books often one and the same when i seen a copy of this book. Midbook test medium final test medium midbook test hard final test hard quiztest generator. Go ask alice is based on the actual diary of a fifteenyearold drug user. Reyna marie to clear the matter, this novel was not based on a true story, nor is the events following alices life, or characters factual. Books similar to go ask alice meet your next favorite book. As such, we hope it will provide insights into the increasingly complicated world in which we live. Created during the height of the drug era, the girl could be anyone from this time who found him or herself seduced by the mindaltering affects of marijuana, lsd, bennies, dexies, and heroin. The chumminess would proceed from here, with each stage. In retrospect, i can see that reading go ask alice at that particular stage of my adolescence had a profound effect on the person i became. A dark and edgy firstperson cautionary tale about how one girls seemingly minor choices quickly spiraled into a life as a sex worker in the tradition of go ask alice and lucy in. Nowadays ya lit is pretty universal harry potter really opened the doors for people to read childrens books no matter what their agebut in 1971 when our book was written that wasnt really the case. Be sure to give several specific examples from the text and the song. And the kicker is that its supposedly ripped from the diary of an actual teenaged girl. The line in this song, go ask alice, provided the title of a 1971 book published by an anonymous author.
Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication top 100 bannedchallenged books. Both chris and alice decide to go to san francisco thinking that moving to a different place is going to help them with quitting their addiction and habits towards drugs, alcohol, and sex. Sep 23, 2014 in honor of banned books week, jo asked a few of us booktubers to pick a banned book and make a video on it. Go ask alice is an amazing story that is passed on a real persons diary. The book go ask alice was the reallife diary of a teenage girl. Go ask alice which was supposedly about a teenage girl taking drugs when in all probability was fabricated by this woman to alert people about the dangers of drugs. The american library association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. Parents and school boards were worried that this book would encourage teens and preteens to try out drugs. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. The go ask alice book of answers is a groundbreaking guide that mines the best material from the eponymous awardwinning web site. At the 16th of june, alices grandmother died in her sleep. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age 15 and runs away from home on a journey of selfdestructive escapism.
This is all to say that i essentially have go ask alice memorized. It is not a definitive statement on the middleclass, teenage drug world. Her name is never given, and the diary is suspected to be fictional despite being promoted as true. Go ask alice was first published in 1971 and has since become one of the most banned books of all time. Her habit eventually becomes a problem, leading her to run away from home numerous times, before landing herself into serious danger. I think this book writes in a interesting way while it teaches us a life lesson by expressing in diary form. Sparks, 82, 83 next, another reason go ask alice should be banned is the excessive use of illegal substances. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. Go ask alice by anonymous beatrice sparks banned library. Go ask alice, by anonymous by alyssa guthrie on prezi. An award winning novel by the name of go ask alice did that. This is appropriate for all ages, it is good for everyone to know what can happen if you get into drugs, and it can scare young kids away. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading go ask alice.
A shocking true story for fans of reasons why kindle edition by anonymous. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to. Originally sold as the real diary of an actual teenager, go ask alice is the fauxmemoir of a 15yearold girl whose life is dominated by her drug problems. But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feelbeautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. This book is supposedly the real diary of a teenage girl struggling with drug use. A book report on go ask alice english literature essay. Go ask alice by beatrice sparks is an epistolary work, meaning that is structured as a series of entries such as letters or in this case, a diary. But at the same time, weve all been so bogged down in d. Beatrice sparks, whom is known to the general public as the editor of go ask alice, populated the false impression that this book was based off of the diary of a young girl, whom fell into the elaborate and dangerous life of a drug addict. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to. Go ask alice has been around for decades, and is even being used as reading material in high schools. In a 1995 village voice column for banned books week, nat hentoff described it as an extraordinarily.
From sex and relationships to alcohol and drugs to fitness and nutrition, this comprehensive handbook is the first of its kind to provide muchneeded information for young adults who cannot get reliable or anonymous. Books like the harry potter series, go ask alice, or the hunger games series are all on the banned book list. Alice was the pseudonymous name of the teenaged author who wrote the book upon which this aboveaverage tv movie was based. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the american library association. Go ask alice a real diary timeline timetoast timelines. I never blamed the book for fueling my anxietiesthose wheels were clearly already in motionbut i do. Jan 22, 2018 in short, go ask alice is bad in just about every way its possible for a book to be bad, and much has been written to this effect. Everyone who encounters go ask alice goes through the same four stages titillated horror, for the young reader, at the books dramatic depictions of drug use. While reading adventures of huckleberry finn in school, teachers often spend full class periods discussing a very important issue. She gained controversy in 1971 by writing her book. Go ask alice by anonymous about the book she doesnt want to get hooked on drugs. Throughout the whole book, it brought the readers attention by giving us enough details. A religious mormon writer and youth counselor, who has written several books which are meant to be true stories however, none of them are real.
So go ask alice is the story of a young woman falling into a spiral of drugs, depression, and debauchery after an accidental exposure to drugs. But those of you old enough to remember the latter portion of the 70s might remember that beatrice sparks, the editor of go ask alice, also edited a bunch of other alarmist books aimed at teens, all supposedly taken from teenagers diaries. But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feelbeautiful and popular and connected to. It is, however, a highly personal and specific chronicle. Go ask alice is a supposed diary of a young girl caught up in the wild life of drug abuse in the late 1960s. Included are new features, more interaction, better integration with social media, and a widget to have go ask alice. Reading go ask alicethe socalled real diary, first published in 1971, of an anonymous girl who took drugs and diedis an experience so widely shared that theres little point personalizing it. Some of the recurring reasons for it being banned are language, sexual content, and drug use.
Only publishers weekly threw shade, remarking that it. The novel was promoted as the real life diary of an unknown teenage girl who, readers assume with the abrupt ending, died of a drug overdose. Essay about banning books in schools 1066 words bartleby. Lines from go ask alice that, in hindsight, should have tipped me. Go ask alice was the product of beatrice sparks, an author who has come out with a number of teens who saw their lives ruined by their bad choices offerings, each one presented as a true. The novel is in epistolary format, being comprised entirely of diary entries and as such, was first thought to be an autobiography. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication.
She died three weeks after the last journal entry was written. Every year, the office for intellectual freedom oif compiles a list of the top 10 most challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. So, what are your thoughts about this book and others like it. With over a million copies in print, this book has become a classic.
Joel gave her alice a lot of strength and offered her to go to the funeral. This story follows the typical template for the say no to drugs genre of liturature. Top 10 most challenged books lists advocacy, legislation. A year later came jays journal, the diary of an adolescent boy who succumbs to satan worship, which similarly credited dr. Go ask alice should be banned from middle school and elementary libraries and only permitted at the high school level because of the use of vulgar language, the use of illegal substances, and the explicit descriptions of the activities being done throughout the book.
Thoughts on go ask alice banned books week youtube. The title go ask alice was taken from a 1967 jefferson airplane song called white rabbit. First published in 1971, go ask alice is a controversial book involving. Exposition rising actions climax falling actions resolution give me as much as you can. But theres one aspect of the book that ive never seen discussed, perhaps because no one else has the text memorized from beginning to end. D espite the popularity of go ask alice, the mystery of the diarists identity has never been truly solved, and none of her relatives have ever come forward to claim a share of the royalties. I chose go ask alice and it is certainly the strangest book ive read this year. The book was a diary of a young girl in the 1960s who had a drug addiction and died. The poor girl in this story gets hooked on acid, which is possible to do, i know people who have been there before, and trys so hard to get past it. Many books have influenced my life and how i think, but very few have altered my sense of reality. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. Written in diary form, go ask alice walks you through the drug use and the.
She is jealous of both of her younger siblings, a brother and a sister, believing she is the letdown child. Explain in detail how the lyrics of the song parallel the story. She is a pretty typical teenage girl in the late 1960sshes mostly concerned with school, boys, her hair, and fitting in okay, thats pretty typical for any decade. If youre looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our weekly recommendation thread, suggested reading page, or ask in rsuggestmeabook. Most leaders dont even know the game they are in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration. Jamie smithjackson portrays a shy, slightly overweight high schooler. Jul 03, 2014 go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the american library association. Controversy behind go ask alice duffys napa valley rehab. Teenagers of every race, religion, and clique relate deeply to the words of the anonymous teenager within the book go ask alice, by an anonymous girl whose life enters a place where, as most teenagers, she has no idea who to turn to, or where to go. I was preparing a lecture for ashley about what is and is not appropriate for a child to.
A book about a girl with drug addiction and she writes about drug life. Some people maintain that alice in wonderland can only have been written by an author with considerable hallucinogenic mushroom experience under their belt. See all 25 questions about go ask alice lists with this book. Go ask alice by anonymous banned book but was it real. I have to write a book report tomorrow on go ask alice. I read it but there are somethings things i need in my book report that i can not find the answers to. However, beatrice sparks, a psychologist, stepped forward as the editor of go ask alice. Through out the history of film, many productions have been made based on best selling novels. Title stance on the book 3 articles it was banned challenged in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, and 2009 it was banned usually in schools and libraries title. In go ask alice there are many illegal substance references throughout the entire book. Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after. A website that has information about health for teens 3.
The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my lifeand then i found out the real story. Go ask alice is written as the diary of a fifteenyearold girls daytoday struggle with drug addiction. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to return home and stay. Everything seems normal at first, but that soon changes when she is enticed into the world of drugs. This set of lesson plans consists of approximately 3 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials. Chances are, you have once read and maybe even declared a banned book your favorite book. Jul 17, 2016 go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years after publication top 100 bannedchallenged books.
This passage from the book go ask alice was when alice first decided to quit using drugs and to stay clean. Go ask alice is a reference to a jefferson airplane song called white rabbit, which alludes to rampant hallucinogenic drug use in lewis carrolls alice in wonderland. In go ask alice, the diary is written by a teenage girl over a twoyear period and chronicles her experiences with. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. The diary begins right before alices fifteenth birthday. Mar 23, 2017 then, in 1978, a book called voices, a compilation of stories about troubled teens, was released, with jacket copy attributing it to beatrice sparks, the author who brought you go ask alice. The book that defined my teen anxiety turned out to be a lie. Essay about go ask alice by anonymous 837 words bartleby.
Alice decided to ask jill to get her some marijuana to try for the first time. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay. All picture source titles are hyperlinked to the pages that they appear on this site. Go ask alice teaches you what can happen when you get into drugs and its hard to stay away from them once you have started and know how easy it is to get ahold of them. Go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living. The list go ask alice has been one of the most frequently challenged books, according to the american library associations frequently challenged books of the 21st century list, since its publication in 1971, for content relating to drugs, sexual explicitness, offensive language, and inappropriate themes for the target age group frequently challenged 1.
Alice acted like she was sick, so she didnt had to go to school. She feels very alone and misunderstood, seeking approval from her mother and other people. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage indepth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. She thinks someday shed like to get married and raise a family. This is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. Go ask alice is a 1971 book generally viewed to have been written by the author beatrice sparks, however the novel was published originally under the pseudonym anonymous. Oct 03, 2016 go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living.