i dunno. Zits’ father has this memory in the hospital as he is having a crisis within himself. He believed that he would end up like his own father if he chose to raise Zits and decided to run away from that possibility, scared. Zits’ father leaving him was traumatic for him, and Zits’ dad abusing him was traumatic for him. They have similar parallels of not having a supportive father figure and an absent(or dead) mom. the difference here is that Zits chooses to go his own path and to heal from this generational trauma instead of repeating the cycle.

I have read Demon Copperhead and Flight which I think have probably been challenged. I think the main reason that books are challenged/banned is because they contain offensive language or characters, push an unpopular agenda, or are written by a controversial author. Flights could be seen as controversial as it contains offensive words and doesn’t have a main protagonist who is morally “good.” I don’t see any issues in this book that could be issues for teens. Zits is a controversial character as he is morally grey. He is kind of a crappy person who drinks, gets into fights and commits many crimes, including him shooting up a bank. These are parts of his character that can make him unlikeable and may make readers not want to continue reading as they don’t want to support the main character’s journey. Shooting people is controversial.

perspective and reality

Reality is often at first misleading and requires a change in perspective, whether voluntary or not, to see the bigger picture and understand both sides of a situation.

“I understand why the soldiers had to be killed, but I don’t understand what is happening to the soldiers now. To their bodies.”(Alexie 73)

Zits has always thought of Indians as heroes who were being oppressed and killed, and this moment here shifted that view. He sees the Indians, whom he almost reveres, torturing the soldiers, brutally killing them, and then desecrating their bodies. He sees a young little girl taking the eyes out of a dead soldier and realizes that it’s not all one-sided in the war.

“No, those Indians down there killed a little girl. Shot three arrows into her belly and left her to die.” (Alexie 87)

While Zits is seeing the memories of Gus, he sees the violated bodies of normal people, including a small little girl. There are many bodies scattered around, mutilated and stripped naked, though the little girl’s body was left alone. Zits again sees that the Indians he looked up to do despicable things. He not only sees the violence the Indians committed but also sees that not all the attacks on the Indians were unjustified, feeling the anger Gus feels when remembering that moment.

“Small saint thinks for a moment. “I joined the military to defend people,” he said. ” And that’s what I’m doing right now.””(Alexie 103)

Zits watches Small Saint save the little Indian boy from the slaughter of all of the Indians and goes to help him. Zits despises the soldiers and the government as a whole, but he sees that not everyone in the army wants to kill the Indians, as Small Saint said, he joined the military to protect people. Zits also sees that Small Saint was 16, and many Indians and soldiers were young. He realizes that most of these people fighting were his age, fighting because they see the world as a fight between the other, more than likely convinced by their elders.

emotion, self-esteem, and loneliness and how they relate to zits

Emotions

similarity

Troubled teens triggers: What causes violent behaviors?

”Teens who have experienced traumatic events, what is known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are more likely to have violent behaviors. Teens who have experienced ACEs are more likely to exhibit serious behavioral problems and relational conflicts. Along with that, these teens are associated with a higher risk of mental health problems.”

-Wral news

Zits has had many traumatic experiences, from the loss of his parents to the racism he encounters to the many bad foster parents he has had. These events have heavily influenced his behavior. This is like many teens who, as the article suggests, tend to be more violent with more traumatic experiences. This is shown when Zits says, “I get so angry sometimes that I want to hurt people.” (Alexie 26).

How Common is PTSD in Children and Teens?

”Studies show that about 15% to 43% of girls and 14% to 43% of boys go through at least one trauma. Of those children and teens who have had a trauma, 3% to 15% of girls and 1% to 6% of boys develop PTSD.”

-U.S. Department of Veterens Affairs

Zits has been through many traumatic events, and this has led him to develop symptoms of PTSD. he suffers from violent outbursts and engages in self-destructive behavior(drinking). PTSD in children who have suffered many traumatic experiences is not uncommon, and these effects mirror common symptoms of PTSD.

differences

Parental Influences on Children’s Self-Regulation of Energy Intake: Insights from Developmental Literature on Emotion Regulation

“Parents may not be aware of it, but they model behaviors around both emotional expressivity and food intake beginning when their children are infants. ”

-Natinal Library of Medecine

While many children deal with their emotions, most have supportive families who can help them deal with them. Zits does not have parents who are there for him to learn from, and the most he had was his dead-beat father. He does not have the support he needs to cope with his emotions and has to deal with them alone.

Loneliness

Similarities

Teenage Loneliness and Social Isolation

”A teen’s social world is everything to them. Who they hang out with, the kids they relate to, and the extracurricular activities they participate in all help the teenager to define a sense of self. When a teenager struggles socially, it can result in feelings of profound loneliness.”

-BNI Treatment Centers

Zits craves attention. Like almost every other teen he wants people to pay attention to him. Because of this Zits consistently hangs out with drunk Indians because to him they “are the only ones who pay attention to me.” These people are negative influences on him but he stays with them anyway because they are the only ones who provide the attention he desires. This is a common behavior in many teens who lack attention from their families.

Study suggests anger in adolescence can lead to loneliness through poor emotional regulation

“Karababa explains that the use of ineffective emotional regulation strategies may lead to difficulties finding and maintaining peer relationships, leading to increased loneliness. Lashing out when angry may push peers away, while holding in feelings may lead to persistent anger which then negatively affects relationships.”

-PsyPost

Zits’ loneliness has led him to isolate himself from people, staying by those who are negative influences on his life. Even when he had people who may have wanted to help him he pushed them away, leading him to get lonelier. This is exacerbated by him violently lashing out, further pushing others away from him and keeping them away. This is a behavior common in many teens who have gone through trauma.

difference

Alcohol’s Effects on Health

“n 2022, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 19.7% of youth ages 14 to 15 reported having at least 1 drink in their lifetime In 2022, 5.9 million youth ages 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol beyond “just a few sips” in the past month”

-NIAAA

While drinking is uncommon in teens, Zits drinks an excessive amount of alcohol compared to the average teen who drinks alcohol.

Why Loneliness Affects Young People More Often Than Older Adults

A 2020 report that examined loneliness in the workplace found that 79% of Gen Zers and 71% of Millennials considered themselves lonely, compared to 50% of Baby Boomers. And research published in 2021 in the Journal of Adolescence found that loneliness among teenagers rose between 2012 and 2018.

“Humans are very social, and adolescents in particular,” says pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Michelle Escovedo. “Having peer relationships is innately a very important part of their development.”

-May 05, 2023 Lisa Fields

 Zits has shown that he is, of course, lonely. Most teens have family or friends to help them when they are lonely, helping them by showing them ways to deal with the loneliness, or just being there for them. Zits does not have this sort of support and has to deal with it himself, leading him to lash out when confronted on it. He lacks the support most teens have.

Self-esteem

similarities

Self-Esteem Mediates the Effects of Loneliness on Problematic Alcohol Use

 “Drinking to cope, in contrast to drinking for social enhancement, is negatively associated with self-esteem (Gierski et al., 2020; Schick et al., 2022); therefore, individuals experiencing high levels of loneliness with low self-esteem might therefore be more likely to consume alcohol as a means of coping.”

-National Library of Medicine

Many people drink to cope with their issues, using it to numb their feelings. Zits drinks large amounts of alcohol to do this.

What Causes Low Self-Esteem in Teenagers?

“Teens with low self-esteem crave validation and attention from both peers and adults.”

-At Risk Youth Programs

Kids with low self-esteem tend to engage in self-defeating behaviors(overly critical of themselves). Zits is incredibly critical of himself, from saying he is no better than Art or Elk/Horse, to his constant critique of his zits.

different

Your Child’s Self-Esteem

”Their self-esteem grows when parents pay attention, let them try, give smiles, and show pride.”

-Nemours

Teens need the support of parents or parental figures as it helps them build self-confidence. Zits does not have this support, or those who do support him have ulterior motives. This leads to him not being able to build the self-confidence he needs, leading him to develop bad habits like drinking to cope.

Worried About Your Teen’s Behavior: Signs Of A Troubled Teen

”Teens that show no remorse when they are caught doing something they shouldn’t be is playing with fire. If your teen has no respect for you or others and is constantly defying you and showing no remorse, it’s time for some action.”

-Virtual Academy

Zits has yet to really show true remorse for his actions, having shot up a bank full of people with no real remorse for it. Most teens would feel regret for this, and Zits has yet to.

I think that books with inappropriate themes or words(sexual, swearing, excessive violence, etc…) should not be accessible to younger children, such as books like Flight. but for teens, I think there should be almost no books that should be inaccessible. Books are important sources of information and expression, and teens should be able to have access to almost any book. I think that certain books that are bad like Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf could be banned for teens, but books like that also give a lens into the views of people like Hitler. they can be a great source of information and research. Banning and censoring books for teens helps nobody and only blocks them from information they could be learning. I don’t think any books I have read would give adults issues with said books.

The article is about the AIM occupation of Wounded Knee and the events that led to and were caused by its occupation. It has many connections to Flight with Hank (Zits) and the occupation of Wounded Knee. The Hank section takes place about 2 years after the occupation. The article describes how after this event, “Congress took no steps to honor broken Indian treaties.” Flight shows this with how the FBI is still in reservations, and there is still violence going on within them. Hank (zits) and Art are on the reservation to get info out of a captive they have, using Indians to get them. This shows how the area is not very stable with the FBI torturing and killing Indians for info, pointing to some goals the FBI had in the region.

The most important part of Zit’s character is his complete and utter loneliness. All of his actions and thoughts are defined by the fact that he feels like he has nobody. He pushes everyone away from him due to the absence of both of his parents. He has created a feedback loop with his actions, he pushes others away even if they want to help him or have good intentions, leading him to feel even more isolated and push people away even more. I believe this is an accurate representation of a teenager, if a bit exaggerated for entertainment. Many teenagers have a feeling that the world is against them, pushing those who care about them away and creating a similar feedback loop that we see in Zits.