Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

When Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was initially published in 1970, the story quickly came under fire for its discussion of religion and the idea that young people might be able to choose their own religious path instead of following in the footsteps of their parents. Margaret is introduced as a child with no religious upbringing, although she knows that her parents were raised with two different faiths: Christianity and Judaism. Margaret’s parents have decided that she will choose her religion when she’s old enough, but as she enters her 11th year of life, Margaret finds herself drawn to the world of religion and religious denominations. She quickly learns that her choice will not be an easy one, and throughout the novel, Blume demonstrates how the concept of religion can be both fulfilling as well as divisive.

When Margaret meets Nancy and the other girls in Farbrook, she explains that she doesn’t attend Sunday school or Hebrew school. The girls are amazed and point out that religion is a huge part of life in Farbrook. After all, “if [Margaret] [isn’t] any religion, how [is] [she] going to know if [she] should join the Y or the Jewish Community Center?” (40). They insist that everyone in Farbrook belongs to one place or another, and this sparks a new fear in Margaret: She worries that she won’t find a place to belong. It is this fear of being an outsider with no community that pushes Margaret to begin her journey to choose a religion, and although her mother insists that Margaret is still too young to choose a religion, Margaret is determined to start junior high knowing where she belongs, “like everybody else” (69).

However, as Margaret dives into her exploration of religions, she is reminded of the highly divisive nature of organized religion and its impact on her family. Blume first hints at this underlying tension in the opening chapter when Margaret mentions Grandma’s constant questioning about Margaret’s “boyfriends” and whether or not they are Jewish. Margaret cannot understand why it would matter if any boys she liked were Jewish, but for Grandma, this is a very serious matter. Grandma often looks for opportunities to talk about Judaism, and Margaret thinks, “As long as [Grandma] loves [her] and [Margaret] love[s] [Grandma], what difference does religion make?” (162). Margaret knows that Grandma wasn’t happy to get a Christian daughter, but she “accepted the situation,” whereas Margaret’s maternal grandparents told Margaret’s mom that they “didn’t want a Jewish son-in-law” (39), which led to their silence for the past 14 years. When Margaret’s grandparents come to visit, they waste no time trying to push their Christian beliefs onto Margaret, and when a heated argument breaks out among the adults, Margaret is so hurt and angry about the situation that she declares she is “through with [God] and his religions!” (154). Margaret is forced to face the uglier side of organized religion and all of the stubbornness, pride, and intolerance that comes with it.

However, Margaret’s relationship with God isn’t exactly a form of organized religion. It is a private conversation in which she bares her soul to God, and she keeps these conversations to herself because she worries that her parents will “think [she’s] some kind of religious fanatic or something” (16). Margaret tells God all about her life and the things that frustrate and frighten her, and she comes to him for help any time she desperately wants something, whether it’s a good grade on a quiz, a growth spurt, or for her father to survive his lawnmower incident. Margaret tells God that she “want[s] [him] to be proud of [her]” (57), and despite her mother’s issues with organized religion, Mrs. Simon admits that “God is a nice idea” and that he “belongs to everybody” (16). Margaret doesn’t have to be a member of an official religion to find comfort in God, which pleases her when she has big news to share at the novel’s end.