Reignite the Canon

By: Logan Powell

Book banning is not by any means a new thing, and the saddest part about it is that most literature that has become a victim of this movement also holds a place in the literary canon. Many of these works include classic literature like Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, and several Shakespearean plays. More contemporary books such as Harry Potter, Hunger Games, The Hate U Give, and They Both Die at the End have also been targeted by this movement. Even beloved children’s stories like Dr. Suess books, Charlotte’s Web, Where the Wild Things Are, and a newer one And Tango Makes Three. Before getting into discussing why books are banned and arguments for why they should not be, there are a couple factors to consider on this topic, but they each have one thing in common. Purpose.

First, we must ask the question: what is the literary canon? The canon is an ever changing and evolving collection of works that are considered among scholars and literature fans as the most influential and important in literature. The follow up question to that should then be: what is the canon’s purpose? The answer is simple. Readers are meant to engage with the canon as it sets the standards and guides for finding an understanding of literary history.

Building off that, we need to look at literature and its purpose. The most commonly known answer would likely be to entertain, but there is so much more to literature. Literature can also be a tool for educating and allowing readers to understand certain people, cultures, and worldviews. It can record, preserve, and provide observations on historical movements or events. Finally, it is a form of communication. This can mean the writers trying to communicate certain ideas to readers, or the literature results in readers talking to each other about themes, ideas, and emotions they found compelling or interesting.

With that in mind, let’s take a classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, and a modern book, They Both Die at the End, so we can discuss their teaching points and why they are on the list.

Harper Lee takes readers on a raw, intriguing, and sometimes disturbing journey as Scout and Jem Finch learn about the consequences of prejudice and hatred. Through interactions with Boo Radley, a man who had been shut out from society due to his autism the children learn about prejudice. And while witnessing their father’s trial Tom Robinson, a black man who is falsely found guilty by the all-white jury of sexually assaulting a young woman they are taught about injustice within the legal system as well as more prejudice. Most of us are familiar with the reasons To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned. From the use of slurs to other adult themes like sex, violence, and incest. Some people even try to label Atticus as a ‘white savior’ when he is simply a lawyer doing his job.

In addition to prejudice and injustice, banned books can spark conversations about other things as well. Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End is a newer book to make its way onto the banned list. I am less familiar with the story, but I know it revolves around two young men, Rufus and Mateo, as they spend their last day alive with each other. Big picture topics like mortality and identity that are brought up in the novel have been perceived by some to be too mature for the targeted young adult audiences. Specifically, in places like Texarkana, it was banned due to its portrayal of same sex relationships in an ‘obscene’ way.

One way we might be able to find common ground is to be reasonable about either side of the argument. On one hand, there are plenty of themes in a lot of books that are understandably mature and not suitable for all ages to read and that has been used as a reason to ban them. It is also a parent’s right not to want schools to force their children to read them or not. On the other hand, however, in American public high schools, we learn more heavily about events like the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust where prejudice was a driving factor. Therefore, there may not be a better moment in a readers’ life than that one to read something like To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. And while it’s not taught in schools, They Both Die at the End could be encouraged to read outside of school by parents, so their seventeen or eighteen year old who is going through their own self discovery can still have access to modern depictions of young adults dealing with similar things.

Past generations have benefitted from the conversations readers have surrounding these pieces of literature, and it would be a disservice to future generations to completely remove them. So, instead of banning the canon, let’s do what literature lets us do. Let’s talk about it and continue to learn from it. No matter what, both sides should be respectful and encourage their beliefs rather than forcing them.