With a new spin on divorce, Babette Cole shares an interesting sense of humor that I just didn't really get. Personally, I found this story rather appalling because the Ogglebutt parents took divorce to a new extreme by having an "Un-Wedding." I can see that some children may find this story funny and entertaining and in a weird way, comforting. They can realize that they are not the only children who have parents who do not get along. However, I consider divorce a private matter within a family, but the Ogglebutts exploit their divorce with their un-wedding.The book begins right away with the different conflicts expressed by Demetrius and Paula Ogglebutt, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Ogglebutt. By pointing to different areas of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Ogglebutt "butt heads" constantly, making the reader realize that it is better for this couple to get a divorce. A two-page spread shows their different ideals of a holiday, a dog, and art. What I did not like about this book was that it did not suggest any strategies for helping Mr. and Mrs. Ogglebutt to improve their relationship. Instead, the couple started playing manipulative tricks on one another.
When Demetrius and Paula go to their minister to ask him to give their parents an un-marriage, this book really was taken to the extreme for me. From a religious standpoint, I feel this book is degrading to the sanctity of marriage. Although I do not believe divorce itself is morally wrong, I do believe the way this book presents divorce is morally wrong. Therefore, I see the controversy inherent within this story and agree with the people questioning this book. I am now one of them. The un-wedding ceremony, the un-wedding cake, and un-honeymoon present divorce in a non-traditional, unrealistic, controversial way. The part of the book that I do agree with is that the two parents "could live happily ever after-apart," but the process to which they got there is very morally questionable.
I chose to read this particular blog post because I also blogged about this book. I see where you are coming from and I respect your opinion. I, however, loved this book and I don't see a strong enough reason for me to not place it in my classroom library. I particularly enjoyed the way Cole light-heartedly talked about divorce. Coming from a family of divorce, I have been through it and seen all that it entails. It's hard and something that only get easier to talk about with time. I find this book to be a breath of fresh air when it comes to the subject of divorce. In fact, this story may be a relaxed way to bring up divorce and allow students to open up and release some of their feelings. If you're interested you should check out my blog post on The Un-Wedding. :)
ReplyDeleteI have not personally read this book but I think that the concept sounds very interesting. I guess I do not see anything wrong with people getting a un-wedding if that is what they want to do. I actually saw this in a show I was watching one day and found it very amusing. I can not say that I would do this myself one day but I do not believe that it is wrong.
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