Question #5: Censorship

[[deleted user]]

To Kill a Mockingbird has been challenged repeatedly by the political left and right, who have sought to remove it from libraries for its portrayal of conflict between children and adults; ungrammatical speech; references to sex, the supernatural, and witchcraft; and unfavorable presentation of people of colour.

Which elements of the book-if any-do you think touch on controversial issues in our contemporary culture? Did you find any of those elements especially troubling, persuasive, or insightful?

[Susan]

I find it quite sad that people today would consider banning this book. But I am heartened by the fact that it still sells over a million copies every year.

I didn't find any elements of the book to be troubling, keeping in mind the year that it was written. I think if Go Set a Watchman had been published when it was written, it would have been even more controversial, and is a more controversial book today.

[Maureen]

Susan wrote: "I find it quite sad that people today would consider banning this book. But I am heartened by the fact that it still sells over a million copies every year.

I didn't find any elements of the boo..."

I find it troubling that the book has been banned and still controversial after all these years but I do understand some of the reasoning. So many of the words now taboo were the common currency of the '30's while other words that are used routinely in movies and television today would have someone run out of town back then! I found the language painfully blunt at times but it portrays the attitudes then and even now in what I think is a fairly realistic way.

[Allison]

Maureen wrote: "Susan wrote: "I find it quite sad that people today would consider banning this book. But I am heartened by the fact that it still sells over a million copies every year.

I didn't find any eleme..."

I agree with both of you. I'm not sure how anyone could argue to ban a book that uses period language that is both accurate and necessary for the sake of meaning and intent in the text.

[Kate]

Agreed on all points and I find myself thinking of one of the best ways of handling the issue of media having period specific views and depictions that are not acceptable now.

When Warner Brothers re-released the Looney Tunes cartoons (the older ones are certainly highly questionable with regards to imagery for sure by today's standards) they included a little 'warning' of sorts at the beginning which reads as follows:

"The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were common in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

You can see the original image here. I've always thought this was a wonderful way to handle the issue.

[Susan]

Kate wrote: "Agreed on all points and I find myself thinking of one of the best ways of handling the issue of media having period specific views and depictions that are not acceptable now.

When Warner Brothers..."
I love that, Kate! Thanks for sharing it.

[Allison]

I love that, too! Thanks, Kate!

[Maureen]

Agreed! Wonderful quote, Kate!

[Jennifer]

Remembering that this book was written in the 1960's when times are not like today, I don't understand why this book is banned/challenged so much. You can't get rid of everything that might be potentially offensive. It would be hard to decided what. I think that books no matter how bad need to stay in the public record as a matter of preserving history. You can't know where you are going until you know where you have been.