When information about anything and everything is available online and right at one’s fingertips, who honestly has the time to complain about the content of books -- some of which have been on shelves for years if not decades? Apparently, a lot more people than you might think!
As part of National Library Week, the American Library Association released its annual report of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in school and public libraries for 2009. The ALA defines a challenge as a formal, written complaint from parents and/or educators that is filed with a library to request the removal of a book. Last year, they recorded 460 challenges, and a total of 81 books were removed as the result of those challenges. This works out to only 17.6% of the books being removed, but they further estimate that for every reported challenge, at least four to five complaints are made but not formalized. It’s a lot of numbers and math for a post about books, but my point is simple: I know censorship when I see it!
While I haven’t read all of the books called into question by the list, I feel compelled to file a challenge of my own… against the fact that this kind of report even exists! Several of the list’s entries demonstrate remarkable narrow-mindedness regarding the themes that literature is supposed to address to be effective as an art form. Without those themes, how can we expect the author to accurately address the human condition and tell stories that transcend the struggles that we as people face?
Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower,” which came in at number 3 on the list, was frequently cited for its depiction of “sexual content, language, drugs, suicide, [and] religious viewpoint.” Frankly, this entry came as a surprise. While it’s one of my favorite books, it’s certainly not as widely known as some of the modern classics that comprise the list. Though the novel alternates between the hilarious and the heartbreaking, I won’t sugarcoat it: the subject matter is heavy for any reader, especially its target audience of teenagers. But it’s also one of the most honest, authentic portraits that I’ve ever read about the hardships of adolescence and the struggle to discover one’s true self in a world that no longer places a premium on identity. Certain elements of the plot might have the ability to shock less discerning readers, but more importantly, they also have the ability to warn and inspire readers to strive for better things in life.
When it comes to Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird,” which makes an appearance at number 4 for its use of “racism [and] language,” I have very little to say beyond, “Are you freaking kidding me?!” This is easily one of the most significant novels in history, and it only features racism and language to realistically describe and decry the prevailing prejudices of the day. The main characters are memorable for a reason -- they are good people learning how to take a stand for others and facing adversity for admirably clinging to what’s right. As such, the messages they convey are timeless. The fact that people still oppose this book proves to me that not only have they missed its point, but that they also have a few things yet to learn from it.
Guilty-pleasure reading has just as much right to exist as higher-brow selections, but the presence of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series at number 5 on the list made perfect sense and baffled me at the same time. Having admittedly read these books and enjoyed them on a superficial level, I say perfect sense to indicate my agreement that in terms of good writing or even great literature, they don’t really hold up as fine examples of the craft. They’re infinitely more suited for personal leisure reading. If these books are indeed going to be challenged in libraries, they should adopt this more scholarly approach to justify opposing their popularity. Instead, the “Twilight” series has been criticized for being “sexually explicit” as well as advocating a “religious viewpoint.”
Here’s where the baffling kicks in. While the books do in fact find its teenage characters grappling with their perfectly natural emerging desires, nothing remotely quote-unquote sexual happens until “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth and final book. What does end up happening is hardly explicit; it’s merely implied and even takes place in the context of marriage. The way Meyer writes it, Edward Cullen might as well be the new poster child for abstinence! And despite the fact that “religious viewpoint” is a terribly vague category, what about the viewpoint is so offensive? That there is no specific mention of any religion, or that the series’ supernatural elements defy certain religious teachings? Either way, if such a report has to exist, I would prefer it to be more detailed and not just lump various works into the same categories of contention when they’re clearly trying to accomplish different things.
Overall, I can understand people wanting to know what children and other impressionable individuals might be reading at home, but there’s no excuse for it in libraries and classrooms. Compiling lists that degrade the inherent value of books and trying to control their access in public settings is counterproductive to the invaluable educational services provided by those locations. Even worse, it threatens the place of literature as one of the remaining bastions of truly free expression in society.
No comments:
Post a Comment