Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

[Editor’s Note: A few weeks ago, your congenial editor and his wife saw a basically worthless movie (in other words, typical). Prior to “the main event” were a number of previews. Surprisingly, one of the new releases is a movie version of a book written by Judy Blume in 1970: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. In 2010, I reviewed this book and several others of the author. With the release of the movie, however, this might be a good time to remind everyone of what was written then. Afterward, a biography will be included, along with other reviews.]

This is one of Blume’s books that has been removed from library shelves on occasion and not without reason. This story observes Margaret coming of age, trying to understand life. One of her friends proves to be a chronic liar; most of them think religion is boring, and they are all concerned about expanding their busts in order to be noticed by boys. In fact, at a poorly supervised boy-girl party the kids alternately “make out” and treat each other in an immature fashion.

What’s so objectionable about this story? The girls seem very sex-conscious. As Margaret changes into a swimsuit, she comments that Nancy (her lying friend) gives her “the creeps the way she sat on her bed and watched me” (6). Later, on that same page of the book, Nancy tells her that she’s looked at the girls in her father’s Playboy and that she’s going to look like one of those girls when she gets older. Nancy also informs Margaret that all 14-year-old boys are disgusting and that they are only interested in two things: “pictures of naked girls and dirty books” (11), yet they do exercises with hopes of expanding their busts. At an all-girls’ party, they study the father’s Playboy (71); some of the girls confide that they have a brother or a father that walks around the house naked, and one had an aunt that spent a summer in a nudist colony (70).

Nothing is ever sorted out in the book as to what is myth and what is truth. Pornography is not condemned as being wrong or harmful; it is presented as something that is normal and helpful. Do the girls get some factual advice from their parents? No, parents are generally despised. Consider this snooty remark: “My mother’s always telling me about when she was a girl. It’s supposed to make me feel that she understands everything” (24). Margaret decides on one occasion that her mother isn’t so bad—when she does what Margaret wants her to do (37). One girl states: “I hated my mother. I really did. She was so stupid” (124). Granted that young people occasionally feel that way or even go so far to say so to their friends, nothing in the story ever shows that such feelings are wrong, temporary, or even usually unjustifiable. But religion receives the worst treatment of all.

None of Margaret’s friends enjoy their religions. When Margaret informs them that she doesn’t go to Sunday school, they think she’s incredibly lucky (10). One laments, “I have to go to Hebrew school.” She would love to get out of it (34). When Margaret explains that her parents are nothing religiously, the response is, “How positively neat!”

The adults’ view of God and religion, a la Judy Blume, is pathetic. Margaret quotes her mother as saying that “God is a nice idea. He belongs to everybody” (14). The reason her parents practice no religion is that her father was Jewish and her mother Christian; therefore, to avoid confusion for Margaret, they decided to be neither (35). Their irrationale is that as long as they love each other, “…what difference does religion make?” (141). Her mother tells her on one occasion, “I just think it’s foolish for a girl your age to bother herself with religion” (56).

Margaret’s grandparents on both sides try to pull her into their respective religions. Margaret attends worship with both and prefers the Jewish a little, since she didn’t have to listen to a sermon (94). Her “Christian” grandparents tell her that a person doesn’t choose religion; they are born into it. They affirm that she was “born a Christian. You were baptized [sprinkled, undoubtedly]. It’s that simple” (133).

How does Margaret feel about all of this? Church doesn’t do anything for her. Attending worship didn’t make her feel close to God, even though she wanted it to (63). Later she says to God, “Why do I only feel you when I’m alone?” (120). At one point she gets mad enough to say that she doesn’t need anyone—even God (134), but then she concludes, “If I should ever have children, I will tell them what religion they are so they can start learning about it at an early age” (143).

What is so dangerous about Judy Blume is that she deals with things that young people are thinking about, but she gives no answers—unless it be that there are no answers. She presents only a hodgepodge of conflicting views but provides no guidance as to the right solution. One suspects that she does not believe that there are any solutions.

Sure, teens become interested in sex, but there are absolutes regarding it in the Bible (1 Cor. 6:18-20). Sure, teens invariably have conflicts with their parents, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other. Sure, teens usually have questions about religion, but hopefully they can get better answers than the insipid, inane advice that flows from Blume’s adult figures.

God is not a nice idea that someone thought up, like Tinkerbell. God is reality, the Creator and Redeemer of all mankind. He is holy and just and will bring all men to account for their actions (as well as their ideas) someday. While a person might be born Jewish, no one is born into Christianity by physical birth. All are born into it by means of a spiritual birth (John 3:1-8). Furthermore, religion is not a matter of merely experiencing feelings (Pr. 28:26; Jer. 17:9); it is also a matter of knowledge and using one’s intellect.

There are always those who want to disregard the Bible in favor of making God into their own image. Such is evidently Blume’s philosophy. I tell God what I expect out of Him, and He answers my requests. Needless to say, however, He is not allowed to make demands of me or preach to me, or else I’ll get mad.

Is it any wonder that Christian parents get upset with Blume’s anti-Christian philosophy? Children can see through many things that adults miss, but on the other hand they lack the ability to discern between beneficial and harmful philosophies. If an author says it’s all right for children to look at Playboy, then they will likely agree. If an author’s attitude toward religion is blasé, that same attitude will likely rub off. It’s called influence, and without any hesitation, we say unequivocally that children would be better off without subjecting themselves to Judy Blume.

[Below is a brief biography of Judy Blume as of 2010. Two other reviews follow.]

Judy Sussman was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1938. Her family (of Jewish background) consisted of an older brother, her mother, and her father to whom she was particularly close; he died when she was 21. That same year she married John Blume, a lawyer. After sixteen years of marriage and two children (Randi and Larry), they divorced. She married again, divorced again, and has been living with a man for a number of years. Information about various authors can be obtained from Something About the Author, which can be found in the Reference section of the Children’s department in most libraries of any size. Significant quotations by them are also included.

According to Wikipedia, which in this instance is accurate: “In 1975, Blume published the now frequently banned novel, Forever, which was groundbreaking in young adult literature as the first novel to display teen sex as normal. [Editor’s Note: I reviewed this book also January 31, 2010, and that review is included below.]

Forever

This book is classified more as “adult” literature, but it is read by girls in seventh and eighth grades, most of whom are not ready for the explicit sex involved. The story revolves around two young people who grow progressively intimate with each other. Michael’s sister and her husband (who often smokes marijuana) invite him and his girlfriend Katherine to Vermont to go skiing and do not at all object if they sleep together while there. Katherine’s grandmother also holds very permissive views of sex, probably indicative of the author.

In fact, the book not only reflects the humanistic philosophy; it’s pure propaganda for Planned Parenthood, whom Katherine visits in order to obtain birth control pills. The young couple practices fornication but ends up separated over the summer, at which time they realize they do not want to spend “forever” together after all. The reader might think, “Aha! A moral lesson at last! Stay a virgin because you may give yourself too freely to one you will not be marrying.” But no such obvious lesson is intended by the author. And even if it were, the story could have been told more tastefully.

Blume’s message is clear: “It’s all right for young people to engage in sex as long as they protect themselves, and it is part of a meaningful relationship.” This is by far the worst of her novels (for young people). Besides containing vulgar language and graphic descriptions, there is absolutely NO sense of moral value or conscience involved. The book could even be described as “preachy”—not for moral values, but the immoral ones. Blume has endorsed smoking marijuana, premarital sex, and Planned Parenthood. She seems to enjoy telling kids it is all right to do things they ought not to do. [Blume’s book, Tiger Eyes, was made into a movie back in 2012. Below is the 2010 review of that novel.]

Tiger Eyes

The best thing to say about this book is that if all the unsavory aspects of it had been left out, it would have made a touching story. In fact, this book may well be the author’s best work—as far as plot and characterization are concerned. The story concerns a girl and her mother who must cope with the violent death of the father/husband. The family departs from New Jersey and lives in Las Alamos, New Mexico for a period of recuperation and a vast change of scenery. “Tiger Eyes” is the name “Wolf” gives to the heroine; he is a teen-age boy whose own father is dying of cancer. The problem of dealing with death is one of the most important themes in the story.

BUT the vulgarities are numerous and varied; “Wolf” makes a crude remark the first time he meets “Tiger Eyes,” and she responds in kind. Base humor and similar pointless remarks are included. Comments about death are not excessively wise or accurate. One person wonders what it feels like to be dead; the other answers, “Peaceful” (9). Later, someone comments that an afterlife is a nice idea, but it is difficult to believe in (164).

More disobedience to adults is spotlighted; in fact, the adults are usually wrong. In a discussion about sex education, her mother tells her she is too young to know about that (118). (We understand mom’s been through great trauma, but any conscious adult could give better advice than that). The kids drink all the time and drugs are easily available (95). Once again, the detrimental aspects of the book outweigh any advantages.