finalmente..

And with this last blog, the class is about to come to a close. So being the last post, I want to reflect on our class presentations on the various banned books our groups read. This project really opened my eyes to a lot of things. For example, I knew in the beginning of this class that banned books were out there, but I didn’t realize how many people would get so upset with various matters in a book. Most of the controversy is struck by people who have only read simple passages from the book, and never read the book in its entirety. It seemed very ironic that the people banning these books didn’t even read the whole thing. Also some of the subject matter that they were banning the books on was very outlandish and weird. For example, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, was banned by a Christian organization due to it being an “idolization of a vampire” and not God. Seriously people? I honestly feel that people always need something to complain about. When everything is going good, they just want to start a fuss. This is why I personally feel that no book, no matter what nature the subject, should be banned. Banning a book is straight up pointless, because no matter how hard these people try to fight them, they will never win. And little do they know, that bringing up the controversy of saying this book is bad, makes society want to read them that much more. It’s human nature to just be curious about things were not that familiar with. This project made me really understand how important it is to stand up for things you feel passionate about. Some of the most famous works of literature have been banned and I still don’t understand why. They’re works of art, and every single person is entitled to their own opinion. This class taught me that..

I really hope you enjoyed reading my blog!

Much love,

Reanna Comstock

blog numero ocho..

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a dystopian novel. It basically describes an America where reading is outlawed. Firefighters no longer put out fires, instead they start fires to burn the books. This novel is very surreal, yet it has those aspects of clarity to a different world like this one. There were many aspects of the novel that felt extremely real as though it were our society now. One aspect that really resonated with me was when Montag, the main character, is supposed to burn down an old woman’s home for having a book ridden house. He sees one of the books he was supposed to burn and reads a passage from it. “Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon of sunshine” was the line he read, which therefore made him steal the book. The old woman refused to move so she then lit a match and burned herself alive. Montag couldn’t understand why a woman would go through so much pain just for books. In their society, as mentioned before, reading is illegal which makes Montag very iffy about reading anything. This part of the book really stood out to me, because I know personally if I saw an old woman lit herself on fire over a bunch of books I would be a little uneasy to say the least. Bradbury was essentially trying to make his reader think about how their life would be affected if reading were to be outlawed. We wouldn’t be able to read this book, and I wouldn’t be able to write this blog. Bradbury tries to get his audience to appreciate what they have and don’t take the little things for granted. When Bradbury explained this scene, it felt so real to me that science fiction felt like an awkward title to me. The pictures that he wants the reader to visualize are just so graphic but the description makes the reader think, I know it definitely made me think.

blog numero siete..

Always Running, written by Luis J. Rodriguez, is a story of how rough and difficult his childhood/adolescence was. He grew up in East LA where the gang scene was at its highest peak. The main reason Rodriguez wrote this book was to keep his son from getting involved in the gangs as he did as a teenager. The intention of writing the book was unsuccessful because his son still ended up in jail for gang related activity. This book made a huge impact on me because it really made me feel lucky for all the little things I’m blessed with. Food to eat, a roof over my head, a solid education and parents who care for me.

The part of the novel that really stuck out to me was when he was describing his family life. He states how “for months we had been pushed from one house to another, just Mama and us children. Mom and Dad had split up prior to this. We stayed at the homes of women my mom called comadre, with streams of children of their own. Some nights we slept in a car or in the living rooms of people we didn’t know”(Rodriguez 14). No one should have to live like this. He stated later on that there “were no shelters for homeless families”. It really got under my skin how unhappy he was from just such a young age. His family’s living conditions had so much to do with how he tried to rebel against everyone. I don’t think he used the gang as a way to make friends exactly, I feel as though he used it as a way to escape from his family and any problem he was dealing with at home. Lashing out almost always happens because of constant problems at home and just wanting attention for once. He just wanted someone to take to about how he was feeling. But it was too late, and he resorted to drastic measures.

blog numero seis..

In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams writes his play in a somewhat racy manner for the period it was written. The lustful relationship between Stella and Stanley made Stella completely forget about important matters (aka her mentally insane sister, Blanche) and just focus on her sexual feelings toward Stanley. The play dealt with sexual desires, rape, mental illness, and homosexuality. This play pushed many boundaries but was a hit on Broadway, regardless of the extreme subject matter and intense storyline. A few years after it was on the stage they did what they normally do, make it into a motion picture. The movie was made in the late 40′s early 50′s so you can image how hard it would be to get passed the censorship laws in regards to this movie. The movie went through a lot of different edits and cuts but eventually they made a version that was to the code’s standards. After reading the play and seeing the movie, there were significant differences that made the movie somewhat detached from the play. For instance, the ending was completely different then that of the play in regards to the fact that Stella does return to Stanley’s side again, but in the movie she states that she will never return to Stanley. For those who have read the play we all know that Stella’s lust for Stanley can never be overcome, she will always return to him no matter what the circumstances. The movie version felt as though Stanley should be punished at the end for all the wrong he causes. The major wrong he committed was when he raped Blanche after they get into an argument. The movie also took away from the severity of this crucial part of the play. The rape was “hinted” at, but if someone were to just see the movie and never read the play, they would assume she just got scuffed up a bit. The rape scene was an essential moment in the play because it was when Blanche loses full grasp of reality. The main cause of Blanche’s insanity was the rape Stanley committed, but it all started when she found out that her late husband killed himself because she caught him with another man. A movie in the 50′s wouldn’t dare touch on the element of homosexuality. It just wasn’t accepted or even talked about in this time period so the movie hinted at it very very vaguely. Williams rewrote this scene but instead of saying “I caught him with another man”, she instead said “He was always writing poetry”. To the naked eye, no one would possibly catch that and thats what the censor’s wanted. The code basically wanted everything to be glazed over and never actually touched on. Overall, the movie conveyed the same message that the play was trying to portray but some of those details if kept in the movie would have made the message come out that much stronger.

blog numero cinco..

“Parents should provide their children with honest and ample information about their sexuality as they reach puberty”. The fact this is a question seems quite ridiculous, of course parents should provide their children with good information as their bodies are starting to change. Without education, children will go to any other source to find information about sex. Speaking from a personal point of view, my parents avoided talking about sex at every turn they could. I never had a good education about sex as in the emotional parts, I understood the mechanics, but nothing about the feelings. I craved wanting someone to tell me that this is how you might feel after this and so on and so forth but I never got it. In Forever… however, things are quite different. Katherine is very iffy about having sex with Michael but as their relationship progresses she starts to give into temptation fully, and eventually has sex with him. Katherine was very safe about her relations with Michael by using protection, but her parents gave her the knowledge she needed to figure out what she should and shouldn’t do. If you want your children to stay away from sex, which is probably never gonna happen, you still need to give them sources. Ignoring the issue only makes it get bigger and bigger until it explodes. You’re not going to prevent it, but you can protect them. If your child has a question about sex, be glad that their asking you and not some teenager who probably has no clue either. Education is key!

blog numero cuatro..

    The Color Purple appears on the American Library Association list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number 17 and I can understand why. There are many grotesque sexual references, obscene language, and controversy on the idea of “God”. Of all the banned books we’ve read, this by far covers every aspect of banning to a tee. This book may be controversial, but it is a literary work and should be treated as such. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983, so Alice Walker must be doing something right.

The novel shows the reality of the world we live in. People sometimes believe it’s best to keep their children from the scary outside world, rather than expose it to them early. The book is not condoning these terrible things if anything, it is warning us to stay away from them. Subject matter like this needs to be brought to our attention because like it or not, it is out there. Personally, I’d rather read about it in a fictional work, then see it flashed across the daily news 24/7. In the novel, the main character Celie, has an extremely hard life. She has been violently raped by her father and her husband, Mr._____ , been beaten, and has been a slave in her own household. However, just because she finds pleasure in someone of the same sex, Shug, parents around the country have a conniption fit. It is quite interesting to think about the things that make people livid. One would think that the violent aspect of it would be more controversial, not the mild sexual content.

Blog numero tres..

No matter the rating system, it will always have its flaws. People will always bicker about what is right and what should be banned/taken away from our society. I believe that there should be ratings system on books but not a set system such as the MPAA, but just as a precautionary measure for future readers. The MPAA’s system to me is extremely vague and absolutely ridiculous. The fact that a set group of “average Americans” can tell me what I can and can not watch is ludicrous. The raters which they claim are of all different settings and backgrounds to give us a further understanding of what is suitable for us to watch seems a bit hazy to me. However, in regards to books I feel like there needs to be some sort of disclaimer on the novels. Not like a set ruling but just an FYI kind of notice. For example, if a novel has references to sexual content or has vulgar language the author would just simply put a designated sticker on the inside cover of the novel saying “Reader Discretion Is Advised”. Simple as that, nothing more. It won’t have a G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17, just a helpful reminder. I feel that this will be a more concise way of dealing with the possibility of people becoming offended. Its not saying don’t read the book, it is simply saying watch out for some material that may not be something you want to read. Chances are the people who are literate are gonna be aware of what they’re getting themselves into, so the disclaimer is mainly for adolescences who need a bit more guidance than others. In conclusion, I feel like this is the proper way to handle the issues that will be out there instead of cowering at the sight of a bad word here or there.

blog numero dos

The Giver is personally one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. When I was in 5th grade, I read this book and I remember loving it just as much as I did reading it the second time. When I was an innocent 10 year old, this book was just a great story to me. It intrigued me, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and was basically one of the first books I enjoyed reading. There was really no particular message when I read it the first time, I just loved the story. Now, reading it as an adult, I viewed the book in a completely different manner. I eventually realized that the message for the book was that perfection can never be accomplished. In The Giver, the idea of Sameness enthralls the Committee members and all they want is an ideally “perfect” world. We as a human race know that perfection is very hard to come by. So in this novel it is just another reason why a perfect world can never be real. As humans we strive for that aspect of being that ideal copy of ourselves whether it be the perfect body, or hair color. Perfection is ideal, but can never be fully executed as The Giver illustrates.

Blog numero uno..

Banned books are a very interesting topic not only to me, but in a general sense. They are novels that were seen unfit to be viewed by the public for either religious, social, political or sexual reasons. But why are we censoring materials in a free nation anyways? Seems a bit ironic that a so called “free country” bans materials from public eyes. And, like all things that are illegal, people are more likely to want them even more because that’s part of the thrill. I personally don’t believe any book should be banned. It takes away from peoples rights and willingness to make their own decisions. Do I believe that there should be precautionary labels on graphic materials? Absolutely! I feel like the people have a right to choose what they want to subject themselves to and who are we to judge? I also believe that no one should have the right to tell you what you can and can’t read. It is simply a matter of ethics and principles. No human should have the rights over another human, even if it is just a matter of banning books which may seem simple but in fact is a difficult matter.

yay for banned books!

hey so this is just a blog for my freshman foundation course called banned books and we each needed to create a blog to write posts about the given topic she assigns us. hope you enjoy my educational posts:D