In the second half of this semester, I have been thinking about the relationship between banned books and empowerment. In my first reflection titled “A Reflection on Relatability and Diverse Texts”(King, 2019), I described the ability of books to make someone feel better understood. I discussed the story A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea which describes the reality of the Syrian refugee crisis. Books open our minds and hearts to the stories of others and ultimately bring us closer together on a human level. However, sometimes we can get in each other’s way when it comes to books. There are times when authoritative figures try to tell us what not to read. Parents might keep their young adult from reading a book about sex because they are afraid it will make their child want to have sex. Schools might not want students reading about violence because they fear it will make them violent. While I understand the important issue of finding age-appropriate materials for children and young adults, I also strongly believe in a person’s freedom to read. If a young adult has questions about birth control, is it not better that they would consult an authoritative text like a library reference book over a forum thread on the internet where anyone could post false information? Libraries need to supply patrons with reliable information, even on topics that might make some uncomfortable.
My interest in banned books began when I started reading Property of the Rebel Librarian by Alison Varnes for my reading log. I received this book for Christmas and was excited to pick it up for a light read. This book actually deals with very complicated issues in a funny and smart way. The main character, June, finds out that her parents want to censor her books. She takes it upon herself to become an underground librarian and brings books back to the lives of her friends (Varnes, 2018). Varnes incorporates many different banned books into the story and also shows how far people will go to censor books by having June’s parents censor classics like Old Yeller.
After reading Property of the Rebel Librarian, I started thinking more about the link between censorship and empowerment. June is empowered by the books she reads. How many patrons are denied empowerment because the books they need are being withheld from them? The resources discussed in this half of the semester have helped me make connections between banned books and books about empowerment, such as I am an Emotional Creature by Eve Ensler.
The message of Property of the Rebel Librarian aligns with the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement (2004) that claims, “We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend”(para. 6). A “free society and a creative culture” empowers young adults to to make positive changes in their world. Whether that means creating a new piece of art or building productive relationships with others, a young adult’s ability to change their world is related to the amount of diverse and powerful books they can read. If we take away these books, we take away not only their right to read, but also some of their power to be independent learners.
Banned Books Week of 2019 highlighted books that have been challenged recently in schools and libraries. Betsy Gomez (2019) writes, “Banned Books Week has been shining a light on censorship since it was founded in 1982, and the fight for free expression is as urgent as ever”(para. 3). “Free expression” directly relates to a young adult’s ability to create. If they know they will not be censored, young adults will be more inspired to create innovative and progressive art.
The power that lives inside all readers, the power to choose what to read, reminds me of Eve Ensler’s I am an Emotional Creature, a collection of monologues that embraces the strength of girls all over the world. This book values diversity and discusses the struggles faced by girls. It focuses largely on mental health. Stover and Bach (2012) write, “Reading books in school in which there are major characters dealing with mental health disorders and learning disabilities is a way to heighten awareness of these problems” (p. 211). While I consider learning disabilities to be separate from depression or anxiety, I understand what Stover and Bach mean when they write about the importance of books that describe these experiences. Some of the books that have been banned deal with suicide and eating disorders. If patrons are never able to read books about characters who face mental illness, they will feel alone if they should encounter mental illness in their own lives. Ensler’s I am an Emotional Creature unapologetically describes the emotions behind eating disorders, self-harm, abusive relationships, and more. In this way, the book empowers young adults who suffer from these experiences and shows them that recovery is possible. Below is a video of Eve Ensler reading the final monologue from I am an Emotional Creature. It empowers viewers the same way a good book should. That feeling of empowerment is the reason books should not be banned from schools and libraries.
References
American Library Association (2004). Freedom to Read Statement. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement.
Ensler, E. (2010). I am an Emotional Creature. Villard.
Gomez, B. (2019). Banned Books Week. Retrieved from https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-2019-censorship-leaves-us-in-the-dark/.
Lifeinfullcolor. (2011) 'I am an Emotional Creature'--Eve Ensler. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0m_kpYIiw
Stover, L.T. & Bach, J. (2012) Young Adult Literature as a Call to Social Activism. Teaching Young Adult Literature Today. Hayn, J.A. & Kaplan, J.S. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
Varnes, A. (2018). Property of the Rebel Librarian. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.