There is a list on the American Library Association site of 100 Banned books.
Included in this list are classic of literature such as: The Great Gatsby, Catcher in The Rye, Lord of the Flies, The Colour Purple, 1984, etc.
Imagine if these books had been banned, removed or censored. Imagine the loss to literature, the loss to readers, the loss of imagination and self-expression, the loss to art and creativity.
Today schools and libraries (especially in the USA) try to censor books which they deem inappropriate.
Why?
I can understand if a book has been written which is blatantly racist, homophobic, misogynist that it would be inappropriate to have these books in schools / libraries, just as it would be inappropriate for the BNP or other white supremacists (LOL) to give a racist hate talk in our class rooms.
However, from what I can see, most of the books that are being challenge and removed are those in which the sexual content is deemed inappropriate. Often same sex relationships are challenge, or books challenge because they are too sexually explicit.
According to the ALA these are the 10 most challenged books of 2007:
* And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
* The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence
*Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language
* The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint
*The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Reasons: Racism
*The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,
*TTYL, by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
* I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Reasons: Sexually Explicit
*It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
*The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
Look at most of the reasons; homosexuality, sexually explicit, sex education ....
Challenged by homophobic, sexually repressed people?
How do children / adults learn? How do we grow and make choices? Very often by reading and analysing the world from different view points.
Through reading we learn that the world is a wonderful place populated by people of different ethnic, religious and sexual backgrounds?
Whose 'morality' are these censors protecting?
We cannot ban books. If we are concerned about the content of a book we should think about it, get different view points, make our own mind.
If we are concerned about things in children's books, for example that they are too sexually explicit, rather than censoring / banning these books we should discuss them with our children in a positive manner.
We need to remember that some parents will not / cannot discuss sexual maters with their children. Books provide a safe place for children to learn about issues that concern them. By having a variety of books children can read and make up their own minds, explore issues that concern them, etc.
As a former English teacher I think children should have access to all books.
With reference to books such as Huckleberry Finn, while acknowledging that aspects of the book are racist, you have to place the book in context of the time when it was written. these books can be read ... and should, not only because they are great works of literature, but because we learn from them
I'm currently reading a non-fiction book The Rape of Nanking, about the Japanese atrocities in China during the Chinese / Japanese war. While the subject matter is uncomfortable I feel it is important to read it as to know what happened and why, so that these things don't happen again. Reading this book does not make me hate the Chinese (victims here) or Japanese (aggressors here). It was a time in history when bad things happened. We have moved on. We must learn from the past.
Classic books which were written when racist / sexist etc. views existed should not be banned because they reflect the times. Instead they should be read in that context and learned from.
One of my favourite novelists is the classic Gothic writer Ann Radcliffe whose books are very anti-Catholic. That doesn't make me one! They are read with the knowledge of the climate at the time.
These are just some rambling thoughts for this morning. Perhaps I'll do some serious writing on the subject soon.
Meanwhile - please note:
0 comments:
Post a Comment