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That's a lot of dead trees there.
- The Banning of Books
- Literature by it's nature has always caused controversy regardless of the era. From the usage of deragatory language, to uncomfortable social critique, authors throughout history have a knack for creating things that challenge the social status quo. (See Controversial and Banned Books)
- Stretching the Definition
- What we define as "Literature" used to be something as simple as a book, and only that. However, with the advent of other media, that definition is now being stretched to include potential examples such as comic books, manga and even recursive or "fan" fiction! As such, there are now conflicts in Academia about an official ironclad definition for Literature. (See What Counts as Literature?)
- Regarding the "Word of God"
- One of the more recent developments in Literary history is the ability for the Author to make statements about their work after the book is already published and sold. Possibly the most famous example is J.K. Rowling, who often makes claims as to what is canon in her book series that often contradict what is written in the actual books. This has lead to the creation of "New Criticism", which seeks to judge books by what is only in the text and not by any outside circumstances. (See J.K. Rowling retconning Harry Potter on Twitter has consequences and New Criticism)
Whereas Authorial statements can be ignored in favor of what is already written, and banned books can easily be found online in some form or manner, I feel that the biggest issue is the definition of what we consider Literature. There are so many different forms of New Media developed in the last few decades that could technically fit under the same umbrella as books, but due to their "newness" are considered to be lesser by many, despite the fact that there are quite literally hundreds of thousands of books which are hardly worthy of the title of "literature". Instead of pushing back so hard against admitting these new arrivals, we as a community of readers should be welcoming them with open arms.
Image Credit: "Books" obtained via Wikimedia Commons
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I think that broadening our idea of literature is what allows society to continue to create. Quality is subjective, and deciding that a certain medium of writing isn't as noble as another is putting creativity in a box. It seems like a prescriptive way of viewing. So I agree with your stance that we should be more welcoming of different forms of literature.
ReplyDeleteIn 1989, "The Lorax" was banned in Laytonville, California from a local public school because it was trying to portray the foresting industry (a field evidently quite important in California) in a negative manner. I find this fascinating because it raises interesting questions about how censorship relates to bias. Books are often censored because they are "corrupting," but who gets to decide what is "corrupting?" The rhetoric of religions, politicians, and statisticians can be equally compelling in this regard.
ReplyDeleteI do think the third topic is worth further exploration. Being an avid Potterhead, I have seen how some fans react to conflicting cannon and how toxic they can make things. Yes in the grand scheme of things it's really not that important, but the consequences are actually pretty bad due to the response from some people. Something needs to be done to help people learn how to react in a healthier way to these things.
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