“Her head lay limp in the crook of his arm and his hand reached for the hem of her dress, caught it in his fingers and gathered it up slowly…He kissed her again and at once she spoke, not a word, but a resigned and prolonged sound that gave forth a meaning of horror accepted..’Bigger… Don’t!” says Bessie, Bigger Thomas’ ‘girl,’ as he forces himself on her in his flight from the police. (Wright 198) Is this the excerpt that a parent might choose to use as evidence to keep this book from a classroom or school library? It is one of many questionable quotes and subjects that Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, arises to the surface. This book was much more questionable when it was originally published in 1940; however the subjects of racial inequality, rape, murder, and the death penalty are still hot button topics. Native Son was one of a long list of most commonly banned books in schools and libraries. Recently, more sexually explicit and graphically violent books have come to the front line of books not allowed in children’s library collections. Some Christian and religious groups have attempted to censor and take away the freedom to access books with homosexual undertones or with vivid descriptions of such things as masturbation or magic. But where is the line drawn between cautious parents and violation of students’ constitutional rights? While slightly outdated, Wright’s Native Son is a great example of how controversial text can be used to teach history, showcase different writing methods, and initiate discussions, among other things. Literary experts against the censorship of books say that “parents are entitled to voice their views and concerns, [but] in the end the task of selecting readings for the curriculum properly belongs to professional educators,” which is an argument that any teacher could get behind in the context of broadening students’ horizons. (Bertin 18) However the other side of the argument, namely the parents of these students, has a valid point as well that cannot be forgotten in the fight of book censorship. Books such as Harry Potter attract critics that “have called the books anti-religious and demanded that they be removed from public and school libraries.” (Scales 535) Teachers need be careful not to be disrespectful to others’ views, so it is important to pay attention to these complaints.
There is an element of truth to the arguments of those for the censorship of books. Once upon a time, I was a young adult, browsing in the library for a juicy weekend read. I stumbled upon Go Ask Alice, by an anonymous author about the perils of drug abuse. It was a harrowing read for me. I felt that the content warranted that it be snuck into my house and read in secret because my parents were, and still are, quite conservative and protective of their darling daughter. They never would have approved of this book, and, to tell you the truth, the book was a little much for me to handle at that age. I didn’t understand sex, rape, drugs, or runaways; and I had been exposed to them in one of these challenged books, which is exactly why these books need to be read within the guided constructs of a classroom or under the watchful eye of a parent or librarian. Experts agree and say that “when children are exposed to books on disturbing or sensitive topics in school, the experience can open lines of communication with parents, teachers and peers.” (Bertin 19) Youth will most likely find and read these buzzed about books on their own, as I did, and it is best to equip them with the tools to face the content matter. There is validity behind the argument for banning particular books; however that just doesn’t seem to be the right action to take in the face of these touchy novels. The books under fire should become teachable moments, regardless of personal opinion.
Take, for example, Richard Wright’s Native Son. This book covers several topics that are very touchy, such as race, rape, sex, segregation, and murder, just to name a few. Native Son is written from the perspective of a young black man living in 1940’s Chicago. Rigid segregation laws have hardened Bigger Thomas, the main character, making him bitter and utterly hopeless. As he and his friend watch an airplane in the sky, he says “I could fly a plane if I had a chance,” and his friend replies, “If you wasn’t black and if you had some money and if they’d let you go to that aviation school, you could fly a plane.” (Wright 14) The restrictions that the white world has placed on him make him prefer stealing and acting out in violence than working hard for minimum pay and accepting poor treatment. This book is hard to read because it reminds the reader of the pain of segregation when aftereffects continue to affect our nation today. Race is a difficult but necessary topic to discuss in classes, especially in the context of American history and social studies, both of which impact an English classroom. Parents may bristle at the thought of discussing the way white people used to treat African Americans and how it is comparable to the current race relations. Wright uses the word “nigger” several times throughout the book in ugly ways that may be offensive to some readers. This, however, is not the main controversy in Native Son. Bigger takes advantage of his ‘girl,’ Bessie, in a moment of vulnerability. He also has sex several times with her before her murder, and even though it is consensual the first few times, Wright describes it in a way that may not be classroom appropriate. He also writes several graphically violent scenes depicting gruesome murders that would be hard for some readers to digest. Bigger murders Mary, his white employer’s daughter, and then throws her body in the furnace to burn the evidence. In order to fit her body in the furnace, he “whacked at the bone with the knife. The head hung limply, the curly black hair dragging in blood. He whacked harder, but the head would not come off.” (Wright 79). This appalling detail was yet another issue that was brought to the front of the table when concerned parents asked for this book to be removed from curriculum and school libraries.
While these are valid concerns, it remains to be seen that these are all issues that are topics of discussion among students. At such a vulnerable age, rape, race relations, and sex are important items on the discussion docket. There are a lot of conflicting viewpoints and even laws about these particular subjects that need to be addressed in order to turn students into responsible citizens before they are let loose in the world. A classroom is a safe environment to start a running dialogue about topics that matter for students. Books remain an invaluable starting point for such discussions.
It could be argued that Native Son could be used in an English classroom as a study of writing styles and the effect of grammar usage and dialogue alone. Native Son is a great instance of realist writing. To quote an article on Native Son’s literary style, “[It] is a realist text that does effectively critique American class and race relations, in ways that would seem to baffle the charges of reaction and conservatism [that] more contemporary critics would level at the realist mode.” (DeCoste 130). Good examples of particular writing styles are hard enough for a teacher to find, much less ones that cover interesting topics that students will show passion about in discussion and writing. The addition of the controversial subject matter makes this an especially enticing read for young adults. How many titles on the top banned book list are bestsellers? How many of these titles shot to the top of the bestseller lists after they were under fire for censorship issues? Attempting to ban books often calls more attention to the scandalous nature of the book, circulating the main idea that is so troubling to those trying to censor it in the first place.
So is it worth it to ban access to certain books? Or is banning those novels only making them more prolific? It is hard to say whether or not banning a book will actually keep it out of children’s hands, but it is easy to see what the children will be missing out on when certain books are taken from curriculum. The National Coalition Against Censorship agrees that “literature not only sharpens language and analytical skills but also allows young people to explore the world vicariously and better understand the world around them.” (Bertin 19) The lessons found in hot button reading are irreplaceable. If a classroom was robbed of Native Son, lessons about America’s racial past and the hardships of the death penalty would certainly not be properly introduced and it would not inspire thoughtful discussions that may not have been introduced otherwise.
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Well, what grade do you give it?
can't wait to take care of my own mouse killer and walk down the aisle in the beatimus white dress..... lacy and silky and -sigh- beautiful. although my mouse killer does so on purpose and doesn't keep them in his pocket to pet. and he doesn't kill puppies. killing puppies isn't okay any way you swing it. because they look like this. so cute. 
I have been a wee bit busy lately, and nonetheless, quite QUITE full up of information. There are still remains of my not-so recent move on my floor, school supplies and vitamins randomly hang out on my desk, and my pile of books has somehow exploded (and grown- thanks so much, teachers, for making me buy more things that i don't really need). what i'm trying to say is that i don't have a ton of things to say (about my reading, at least), but i want/need to record the books that I have recently read before I entirely forget about them and lose count of my year thus far. which would be a shame to lose over a few silly essays and a bad hangover, right? those mean nothing, this is my goal for the year, whatever else may happen. just kidding. sort of. on that same line of thought, do you think i will make it? i'm not even to 60 and it's almost the end of september, with more deadlines and papers than i think i have had all my life and less required reading in whole book format than i have had thus far in college. but as soon as i get this application in, and the first round of real papers out of the way, i'm sure i'll retur
n to my completely apathetic state of mind as far as school goes and get down to the important stuff- the reading. anywho, i have much to say about my four books (well, two of them at least) but i'm about to retire for the evening - can anyone guess what the last book i read was? i'll give you a hint- it was set in the 1700s!!!! and now i am writing like a wee lass. can't wait to see how these papers turn out this weekend. alright, drumroll please and my four books are:
if i were a literary prick, like many of the people in my literature classes, i would tell you how i re-read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl because of the deep, second layer of meaning that Dahl origiinally intended for an adult audience of this youthful tale. i would tell you that i read to capture the essence and meaning of the westernized child and how they have become spoiled and wrotten by today's society in a way that is irreversible. if i were a know-it-all future literature teacher of america, i would tell you i re-read Charlie to gain another insight into the chikl psyche so as to better understand how they take in early literature and compare my reading today with my interpretation of yesteryear. BUT I'M NOT a literary prick, nor am i a know-it-all future literature teacher of america, so i'm going to state outright that i read this book because it is one of my favorites, even if (probably because) it is intended for a younger audience. my brain needs a break sometimes, and i like to imagine willy wonka's magical chocolate factory with its pink candy boat soaring down a chocolate river. who doesn't want to imagine something so fanciful and amazing? i love roald dahl for creating his fanciful yet somehow realistic worlds for me to imagine as a child and again as me, as i am right now. literary analysis as they do in college classrooms is bullshit. it doesn't do a damn thing but give us more to blabber about and get/give grades on. sometimes you just need to read the damn thing for enjoyment. i am so sick of college because of these pricks and know-it-alls (who all have way too much to say on EVERYTHING) and their high horses. they are ruining my school experience, not enlightening me. if any of you people reading can identify with these bastards that commandeer classrooms, i'm asking you right now to please knock it off. 
The fourth in the Jessica Darling series, Fourth Comings, by Megan McCafferty
"I imagine that every historian is similarly affected when he begins to record the events of some period and wishes to portray them sincerely. Where is the center of events, the common standpoint, around which they evolve and which gives them cohesion, something like causality, that some kind of meaning might ensue and that it can in some way be narrated, the historian must invent units, a hero, a nation, an idea, and he must allow to happen to this invented unit what has in reality, happened to the nameless."
i'm really not sure where to start explaining sheridan hay's novel, The Secret of Lost Things. I definitely reccomend it, though. it's kind of sad and strangely intriguing. it made me want to read melville.... i'm not quite sure if i'm ready to tackle moby dick, though. it just seems like such an innappropriate title. eh well. i don't really want to say too much about this novel because i know i will not do it justice. it deals with loss and coveting and lust and greed..... and a very unrecognized world of book collectors. where are these people with shelves and shelves of classics in first edition? can you be a serious book collector without having autographed, first printings that are in literary cannons in high schools and colleges the world over? is a librarian a book collector? am i a book collector simply for reading them? when it comes down to it, this, like any other thing, cannot be defined by any one person or thing, it is defined by those who need to define it. did that make any sense at all??
it's hard to be smitten with life when you feel like you are losing the love of your life. luckily i finished this book last night, before the storm blew through, otherwise i might not have been able to handle the "difficulties" that lizbeth and matt faced in getting together in Janet Evanovich's Smitten. she can't handle their chemistry and the fact that he is perfect with her children, has money, protects her, and pleases her immensely in bed. poor lizbeth. some of us actually have real relationship problems and it is eating away at my insides. how do you deal if one person can't handle something and wants to step away while the other one is still hanging on? it's one of those questions that pops up in many people's lives, and in many fictional situations, but it isn't ever really dealt with. either one person remembers why they love the other one who is holding on so dearly or the other has to forge through their feelings and move on when they are not ready to. i know everything happens for a reason, but it's hard to believe that such pain happens for a reason. that's the problem with relationships- they are so SO good when everything is fine between the two people, but when any glitches happen, it can be the worst feeling in the world. how can someone expect to live their life if they keep getting hurt by people they trust? what if everything else is so great, except for one tiny detail that is hard? it's worth it to stay, right? or is the trust and love broken forever? can i do anything to gain it back? 
