The importance of literature cannot be understated, whether it’s someone reading to us as children at home or at school or having to recite a poem for a class assignment or simply finding the gem of a book series with your friends (talking to you Babysitters’ Club). We have all been touched by literature.
So, what do books mean to us? I am not the first to describe how we can use stories to escape from our realities, but they serve even more of a greater purpose. Our voices can be represented in books, we are able to learn more about people from all cultures and backgrounds and investigate the past to learn about what has happened in history. To put it simply, it serves to provide us a thought on what was, what could have been, what is and what could be (simply put: the past, present, future and alternatives). This gives us the space to explore beyond whatever box society puts us in, we can dream beyond and sometimes these words written on paper inspire us to make personal, communal, and societal changes.
Especially for communities that have dealt and continue to deal with oppression, the world of stories is a means of getting that control, power, and voice back. To be able to fully shout out into the world and have at least one other person taking in all your thoughts, fears, desires, loves, aspirations, and more, as there is not limit. And this is the impact of picking up a book: it enables you to go beyond what your surroundings are and to dream and aspire for better things.
In recent years, in America, we have seen a resurgence of banning of books in schools and libraries with the reasoning of “protecting” the children. Which seems to translate to shielding them from what the world is. The main action taken is book challenges, where one can “make a case to libraries and public schools that a book should be removed from shelves because it is inappropriate for children.”[1]
Free speech experts note that this wave has primarily been targeting literature relating to race, LGBTQ identity and sex.[2] A Texas state legislator has gone so far as to compile a list of 850 books, which he contended that they “may cause students to feel ‘discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ because of their race or sex.” And as reviewed, this list is predominantly made up of female authors, authors of color, and queer authors.[3]
These acts of repressing books in communities stops the ability for people to learn more of one another’s stories and experiences, and halts the voices of those that need to be heard the most.
And yes, literature can be used for the most evil and vile propaganda but remembering the light it can bring is essential. If we have those individuals that serve to reflect what the world is and the heights we should be reaching for, then we will continue to be greatly impacted and changed for the better.
[1] Zack Beauchamp, “Why book banning is back,” Vox, February 10, 2022, https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22914767/book-banning-crt-school-boards-republicans.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Emma Sarappo, “This is a shakedown,” The Atlantic, December 8, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/texas-book-ban-between-the-world-and-me/620938/.