One simply
cannot argue the fact that books provide knowledge, instruction, and
understanding. While in today’s world books are typically viewed as a positive
influence on society, this was not always the case. Back in the Dark Ages and
in the early 16th and 17th centuries, many viewed books
as dangerous because they might lead to free thought. While watching the film The Name of the Rose, I began to think
about my own reading experiences. Is it possible that reading can actually be
dangerous in today’s society?
In The Name of the Rose, reading was very
limited. The Bible was one of the
only books that people were allowed to read, specifically the monks in the
monasteries, or the abbey. While the abbey was home to one of the world’s
greatest libraries, the books were locked up where only the head librarian and
his assistant were allowed to read them. There was a fear that the monks’ minds
would be poisoned by the content, veering their minds away from God’s
teachings. This can be compared to “banned books” lists that are in many
schools today. One example of this is the Harry
Potter series. Many parents believe that the content of the novels
(witchcraft, magic, elves, etc.) causes the children’s minds to be corrupted.
Despite this, I do not think that the banned books of today are as extreme as
the restrictions of the Dark Ages depicted in The Name of the Rose.
In terms of
my own reading, I do not think that books should be banned or restricted,
except maybe X-rated material. In my opinion, books are a gateway to positive
change. Andrew Guzaldo says, “Books are only but a mirror of what knowledge we
desire, in our minds and in our hearts.” I can relate to this quote because of
my relationship with books. I often read books that are of interest to me or
related to something that I am learning. If books were difficult to access,
then it would be more difficult to receive some knowledge.
The argument for banning books with
violence can attempt to be made. Perhaps if a child is not allowed to read
about guns and murders than maybe he or she will be less likely to grow up to
be a killer. If books with drugs and alcohol were banned, maybe that would
create a positive correlation for a child’s future. Despite these types of
claims that seem to be in line, I think that it does not make logical sense to
put blame on a book. Books open doors to learning; the reader decides what
actions to take based on the gained knowledge. While books may hold the power
to put negative thoughts in someone’s head or exposure unpleasant images, the
ultimate power of the books lies within the reader.
thanks for the thoughtful post. Books, and learning in general, can be dangerous, but I think it's more dangerous to restrict the flow of ideas.
ReplyDeleteYour insight into books as a form of free thought is quite honestly something I completely agree with. while I understand that restricting books for certain ages can be useful (due to sexual and violent content) I agree that a complete ban certain types of books limits any individual from experiencing all kinds of different emotions and situations, that might not be present in the readers life. After all, do we not read in order to transcend to places we cannot physically? to limit genres or books with explicit content completely inherently limits the imagination. I was shocked to read that the Harry Potter series had been banned from schools, because I was just recently informed of a study including this book in relation to children and their ability to problem solve and make decisions. In this study, those who read harry potter and identified with either Harry, Ron, or Hermoine were able to maintain more positive relationships than those who did not read the iconic series. There was also a positive correlation between readers of the series and higher grades, because the series teaches critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteTo limit reading, and to limit ones choices, is to limit education through experiences gained through reading and in turn limits imagination. (I know, i think i said "limit" one too many times there) Great post!
Great post, Justin! I think you make some great points here and provide a convincing argument against banning and censorship. While books often inspire ideas, it's quite a big leap for them to actually motivate change or action. It really makes you think about why schools ban books in the first place- I've heard arguments used in favor of censorship that point to violence, sexually explicit scenes, graphic language, even homosexuality as a reason kids shouldn't read certain books, but what point does that serve? Any kid could turn on the TV, flip to Netflix, and actually witness violence and sexual scenes rather than just read about it. Any kid can pull up iTunes and listen to an explicit song that has every swear word included a banned book. I think censorship at this point is a useless and counterproductive attempt to "shield" children, and I hope it soon falls by the wayside in the education process.
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