To read or not to read

In high school, many of my English teachers had the list of banned books in history on the wall of our classrooms. The posters held names of great novels that our class was reading at the time like How to Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, and Brave New World. Though books can be banned from countries and states for religious and moral reasons, these books usually stepped on political toes by questioning the government at the time and/or using characters that have striking similarities to political figures.

To Kill a Mockingbird spoke out about the unfair treatment of blacks and whites in the southern societies, such as Alabama. Harper Lee used her childhood memories and setting to discuss a issue that hadn't really been addressed well. The main character, Scout, is narrating the book  from her own perspective and shows her growth and increasing knowledge of the calamity of racism. This book was banned in many states for various reasons ranging from the use of the word "nigger" to "conflicting with the values of the community."

Lord of the Flies discussed the issues of human nature and good vs. evil indirectly through children on an island trying to survive. This novel provoked fear that human beings are nothing more than animals. William Golding used his experiences to fuel this novel. He indirectly wrote about the evil that lies deep in man that is waiting to get out. Though this book has many interpretations for the readers, it overall talks about the human experience on a smaller scale. Lord of the Flies was banned due to profanity and excessive violence.

Now, once-banned books seem to be idolized. They get their own week in the year and READ posters are all over our public libraries. The writers from the past are well deserve this recognition after having to struggle to get their opinions published. These timeless topics can reminds us not to go backwards in history, but forward.