Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A Couple Specific Targeted Books

There are many, many books in this world that are challenged often but there are many that are challenged way more than others. Two of those books are "Romeo and Juliet", "To Kill A Mockingbird", and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". All three of these books are often read in high schools. In my school we read these books to understand why they are so controversial and to discuss our opinions on the books.

(Possible spoiler approaching!)


Romeo and Juliet
This book is challenged often due to the teenage rebellion, teenage suicide, and violence. The story line is something everyone can relate to in some way. Whether it be your parents hate your boyfriend/girlfriend because of there background or you are in the position where someone you truly loved has passed and you need to find the strength to live. Romeo and Juliet's families are rivals and want nothing to do with each other but Romeo and Juliet do not see that hatred toward each other. When their parents find out they force the kids to stop seeing each other, however Romeo and Juliet can not stand to be apart so they sneak around. In the end the teens become so desperate to not have someone controlling their lives that one of them, I will not say who so I will call them Person A, fakes their own death without telling Person B. This plan back fires, Person B gets word of Person A's death and believes it is real. Person B then proceeds to take his/her own life...for real! Person A then takes his/her life and the families are all heart broken, yet blaming each other for what happened. This story isn't just about killing yourself over something, in my opinion this book shows that when you truly love someone nothing can stop you from being with that person but death is never the answer, after Romeo and Juliet killed themselves nothing changed.
For me I can see why parents often challenge this book but I do not believe it should be removed from shelves because when this book is read in a classroom you go beneath the surface and see different means behind everything and there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this story.

To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is challenged for reasons such as offensive or harsh language, racism, and for use of the word nigger. This book was published in the 1960s when a lot of racial slur was still used and not found quite as offensive as it is today. The story line takes place in the 1930s in Alabama. Two young kids and their father live in Maycomb, Alabama and have a black housekeeper. Scout, the young girl, her brother Jem, and their new friend Dill go on little adventures over the summer; Dill soon becomes very interested the the Radley house on the corner. This book tells the story of Scout's life during the Great Depression. One adventure the kids take is to the court house where Scouts father is the lawyer for a black man who is being charged with rape of a white woman. This case is very interesting to Scout because her father believes this man did not do anything wrong. *SPOILER ALERT* In the end Tom, the black man, is convicted and sent to jail. While trying to escape from jail Tom is shot and killed. Later on Jem and Scout are on their way home from a school thing and are jumped by the town drunk, who is also the young women's father from the court house. The kids are soon rescued by Boo Radley, but in the morning the sheriff finds the town drunk dead. I believe book is mostly banned because it shows that even back then white people would stand up for a black man and visa verse!


My Outlook on Things!
Books like this should not be something people complain about, they are books that tell how it was back in those days. Personally I have read both of these books and they were both very eye opening to me. Romeo and Juliet showed me how easy I have it for example even if my parents don't like a guy I hate they don't say anything because they know it is my choice. To kill a Mockingbird showed me that a lot of things that happened in this book still kinda happen today, for example when is comes down to it in the justice system nothing is really based just on evidence it comes down to who can present their side better and more convincingly. As for the language in these books, I don't think it's anything to make a big deal out of it. Harsh language such as "nigger", "bitch", and "damn" are still used all the time if not more often now then it was when Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird were written. Books should never be taken off shelves due to telling it how it is!
Basically what I'm trying to say is no book should be taken off a shelve is someone in the world can find a way to learn something from it! Reading can help you learn so limiting what people can read is limiting there learning ability.

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