For decades, Salman Rushdie’s novel; ‘The Satanic Verses’ which was published in 1988, had aroused controversy in the Islamic world moving the community to rebel against the author by arousing conflict, leading protests and even sending death threats towards the author. So, what sparked such a backlash? It’s just a novel, right?
Well, the Islamic community reacted to the apparent blasphemous nature of Rushdie’s novel which employs the use of magical realism with contemporary events from the early years of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The novel follows the storyline of how the Qur’an was revealed at first by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel in the novel). However, the controversy sprung from Rushdie imposing a false personality and characteristic upon such valued and respectable beings from the Islamic world. This immediately caught the attention of millions of Muslims around the world, even capturing the eyes of politicians, so much so that the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, ordered the killing of Rushdie for creating such a blasphemous text. In Rushdie’s defence, literary critics have argued that the text analyses the boundaries between fact and fiction. Rushdie himself argued that books, texts, religion, communities, beliefs and ideas can all be questioned if it means people are understanding the idea and theory better by building tolerance.
Throughout time, artists and authors have brought about new ideas worth exploring, which increases the contentious nature of some of these novels. Even as recent as 2003, Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ had earned disapproval by Christians and Catholic leaders for its blasphemous material leading to the book being banned in countries such as India and Lebanon. Moving on to 2005, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s ‘And Tango Makes Three’ had been one of the most challenged/banned books for seven years. The book makes many assumptions about homosexuality generating controversial questions about what makes a family. In more recent years, E.L. James’s ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ was seen as ‘poorly written’ and ‘semi-pornographic’ , thus, leading it to become banned in 17 libraries in Florida in 2012.
Looking into some of these texts, should it be allowed for literary texts or even other artistic forms to create controversy by disrespecting a belief, in order to question, challenge, debate and understand this belief better globally?
Actually, an effective comment. The other case study could be: (Jesus Christ Superstar which is a 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice). The writer who takes this topic can incorporate both events (novelistic and operatic) into the final analysis. As for the title, try: "Complexion of Artistic Expression." For what it's worth. – L:Freire5 years ago
Vicious can be summed up as two brilliant and ambitious college friends who get their own superhero origins by deliberately manufacturing near-death experiences that (if survived) will let them become "ExtraOrdinary." With their newfound powers, Victor and Eli find themselves on opposing sides, each now capable of doing inhuman things. As the story progresses, it becomes incredibly difficult to categorize either character as a complete hero or villain because their causes are a conflict of both right and wrong.
Analyze Eli and Victor’s philosophies of morality (particularly after they become EOs) and why they believe they are each justified to act as they do. Eli’s occupation with religion will be helpful here. Also look at how they involve and treat other people in their plans (like Angie, Sydney, or Serena).
Banned Books Week is coming up next month. If you went to public or private school, you probably ran into at least one book whose author endured censorship. If you were homeschooled, certain books may have been banned in your home. If not, your teachers and parents probably discussed literary censorship once or twice, minimum.
This writer has read her share of banned or questioned books, and she wants to know, what are some favorites in our community? The author should discuss some popular challenged books, especially favorites. Why are/were they challenged? If the challenge has died down, why–or why not? What particular literary value do these books have? Most importantly, what do we miss out on when we ban a particular book or author from our curricular or personal canon (s)?
Suggestions: -Judy Blume (Margaret, Blubber, Deenie, really almost any book) -J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter; witchcraft controversy not as hot but still present) -Any book, especially children’s, featuring LGBT characters/situations -Anne Frank (yes, it was once banned for being a "downer" and because of Anne’s discussions of marital relations/sex) -Shel Silverstein (any book) -John Green’s Looking for Alaska
I actually read two on this list during middle school: Judy Blume and Anne Frank. I also read another book about a Jewish prisoner in Argentina and the sheer torture that he endured by his captors. But, this was during college and by that point I was mature enough to be exposed to it and to walk away from it a better person as a result. I feel that the Blume variety of distaste was mild in comparison. Further still, how is Anne Frank any different from 1984 by George Orwell in terms of social oppression and sexual deviance, looking back at it? Although I have never read any of Rowling's work, I have watch her televised speeches and interviews and feel that prose as vital and distinct must not be banned, it would be a disservice to art in general and literature in particular. – L:Freire5 years ago
I went to a Catholic K-8 school and many of these were banned. I actually learned how to read by following the release of the Harry Potter books as I grew up, so they were naturally my favorites. But a few other banned books not mentioned here were: Northern Lights/The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, all of Scott Westerfeld's books, and The Picture of Dorian Gray (lol!). There were probably many more, but those were the ones I went out of my way to read. Thank you, public libraries! – Eden5 years ago
A long time ago I took a look at Frank's book and was absolutely shocked and devastated after watching the documentaries. This book shouldn't be banned whatsoever. IMHO. – tscosj5 years ago
No. No, it shouldn’t. In my opinion, Holocaust studies should be required starting in sixth grade up—full courses with supplements like trips to museums and resource centers. – Stephanie M.5 years ago
Analyze how dystopian books, movies, or TV shows impact how people view society. When President Trump was elected in 2016, book sales of famous dystopian novels such as 1984 and Brave New World increased. Dystopian stories are almost meant to be cautionary tales but do they create a paranoia that they are coming to life today?
It might also be worth noting that people use dystopian stories to make sense of events happening in reality. Dystopian stories seem linked to politics and serve as a way to discuss complicated events in both life and politics. I also think it's interesting that you mention how these type of stories might be causing paranoia. An exploration of the pros and cons that dystopian stories have on people's perspectives of real life would also be fitting under this topic. – jay6 years ago
I think an essay that looked at this issue would need to show how certain events or developments in the present can connect to a future presented in, say, 1984 or Brave New World. Sometimes the future as presented in certain novels or even movies is just there, but where did it develop from? These two books are set in a future but the books start from their visions of a future not somethings that are developing now taking us down a certain path toward an almost gloomy future. But, maybe there should also be some cautionary notes included in an essay that looks at a future in more optimistic ways that would challenge those presented in dystopian novels? If only a gloomy, or worse, future is presented, that creates an impression of inevitability, as though there is no other future. There is this tendency with novels such as 1984 and Brave New World to see them as starting points and then work backwards. Maybe the direction needs to be reversed, start in the here and now and ponder where that can lead. The movie "Downsized" presents an odd mix of impending doom but also presents a strange way of looking at a hope for humans. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
Oh, wow, you could talk about this for days. Dozens if not hundreds of sub-topics exist. I say, narrow the topic some as above commenters have suggested but honestly? Don't be afraid to go a little nuts. – Stephanie M.5 years ago
We all know that experience of reading about some character who reminds us of someone who traumatised us. It’s painful, but sometimes it’s necessary to confront these feelings if we want to heal. If we confront these feelings and are able to empathise with perpetrators, we can learn what motivates them and avoid such motivations manifesting in ourselves. What psychological mechanisms are operating in this process?
A great book (object text) to look at/consider is the Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty – Pamela Maria5 years ago
Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club comes to mind. She even confesses that one of the reasons she wrote this novel is to come to terms with familial trauma. – Michael J. Berntsen5 years ago
Video Gaming technology has passed a threshold – from arcade-style entertainment to virtual realism. As such, games have become an increasingly literary, story-driven experience. What future might Video Games have as educational devices in the literature classrooms of tomorrow? Could the teachers of today legitimately present works of gaming literature in the classroom for students to explore and analyze?
My comparative lit colleagues and I spoke about this topic once and I suggested that choice-based episodic games released by the now defunct Telltale Games would provide great materials. As a natural transition of the Choose your own adventure books, games such as the Walking Dead or Fables (Wolf among us) can prompt discussions about the medium, narrative structures and philosophical choices. The community aspect (where all the choices are tallied in the end) is also an interesting aspect worth of attention. – kpfong835 years ago
Where can you find our most valuable asset? On the shelves of cafes and libraries. The feel of a book from the hard cover to the soft egg-shell pages hold a lot of undiscovered secrets as we pass the opportunity to read as much as possible. Do e-books give the same satisfaction as a real book?
There was a topic suggestion very similar to this one, posted about a year ago, if memory serves. It would be worth digging through the archives to locate it. I recall commenting to the effect that whilst I love the look, feel and smell of a 'real' book, times move on. We've gone from stone tablets, papyrus scrolls, to vellum and paper and now the electronic page. In principle I agree with your sentiment though and for me at least, a shelf full of books has far more allure than a fistful of memory cards. Perhaps the real satisfaction comes not from the format, but in how the information contained therein is received by the reader.Ps. To anyone thinking of using 'a fistful of memory cards' - hands off, 'tis mine and I'm using it in a short story. :) – Amyus5 years ago
I’d be intrigued to see an analysis of themes in Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’. It covers a delicate time period in an engaging way, with strong themes of death, hope, and importantly, writing & stories.
Obviously writing is a powerful tool, and the ways it is used to bring hope in such a situation perhaps holds implications (and analogies) to modern day issues – and how writing shapes people reactions to them.
I’d love to see an analysis of this, and how it can be connected with today’s tenuous political climate.
I would really appreciate an analysis of how and why the author used German words in a predominantly English written book. – bmaan5 years ago
This is a fantastic topic! I would also love to see an analysis as to why most of The Book Thief was narrated by Death, and how that impacted the story considering the subject matter and time. – M. L. Flood5 years ago
I'd love to see how words literally give Liesel her power. As someone who does not have a lot of power at the beginning, how does learning to read and acquiring more pieces of writing give her more power as the novel unfolds? – IElias5 years ago
I have nothing to add here except that this was one of the few books I've read that successfully did a unique narration style that was engaging but not gimmicky. As M. L. Flood pointed out, Death as a literary device alone is worthy of an article.
It's also worth asking--in the age of the Internet, how do we relate to Liesel? What empowers us with knowledge in similar ways, and who or what are we fighting against? – Eden5 years ago
Concerning languages uses and powers, as well as the perks – the necessity even – of being multilingual (here, I'd link it to the fact that the author kept german words in an English written book), there is the work of the philosopher George Steiner, that, to me, might be enlightening and useful to substantiate on the power of words in Marcus Zusak’s "Book Thief"! (I know G.Steiner works a lot on words and languages, though I only read "Errata: An examined life" very recently for a philosophy class (and for this topic, I’m particularly thinking about the seventh chapter, French edition), but I look forward to read more of his work!) – Gavroche5 years ago
