By Kevin Kaumans, Entertainment Editor
Last week, I went to Northwestern’s Banned Book Reading event. I went for three reasons; one, I am the vice-president of both Writer’s Roundtable and Sigma Tau Delta, and thus have an obligation to be there. Two, I did a reading at the last two events, so I figured: “Why not do one this year as well?”
Thirdly — and arguably the most important reason — I am a firm believer of free speech. Now, granted, that does not mean I believe in freedom of consequences.
If you say something ignorant or vacuous, it is my belief that society in turn has a right to call you out.
That being said, while I may not agree with what one writes, I do believe with confidence that they should be allowed to publish it for the world to see if they so wish.
That is why I am so against libraries banning books. Sure, if the library in question is for a school of elementary schoolers, I can see why a parent might not want their six-year-old to read something like “The Color Purple.” But there is no excuse for a public library accessible by everyone in the town to ban books that consenting adults can check out.
If anyone reading this disagrees with my statement, then tell me: how would you feel if something you worked on for years, something you sacrificed your time and hard work for, was banned just because a group of people with the smallest amount of power possible decide it offends them. That is why the Banned Book Reading is so important: it allows us to bring light onto how absurd the censoring of literature is.
But I digress, now is time for me to discuss what my experience with the night of the event was.
Before the event even began, I went to “McDonald’s” and ordered a mocha frappe, as well as a meal.
When my coffee came back to me, however, I found that the usual white whip cream instead had a pink complexion to it.
What does this have to do with the Banned Book Reading? Well, just like that pink-colored whip cream, some of the things that happened that night were not expected.
For example, one of the first things I noticed when the event began is how many people were there. It is a sad but unavoidable truth that people nowadays don’t read anymore.
So, when I saw people outside of the English Department come and see my fellow peers read out books that have been challenged for the content in them, you could imagine my surprise.
I’m not going to go over word-for-word what was read, as I feel like you had to be there to truly understand the atmosphere, but I will talk about the books that were read:
I read “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” by D.H. Lawrence. The book is about a woman named Constance Chatterley, who is trapped in a marriage that is both loveless and sexless. The plot goes on to explore and question the true meaning of sex and what love is. The book was challenged and banned for its explicit sex scenes and use of foul language.
Another book that was read at the event was “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker. The book follows the story of Celie, an African-American woman who goes through abuse as a young girl and later endures hardship later in life. It was due to its explicit abuse scenes and homosexuality.
There was also the “Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood. The book is set in a dystopian society where women have no say over their anatomy. The book was banned and challenged for its themes of religious extremism and violence.
Another novel that was read at the event was “The Giver,” by Lois Lowry. It is another dystopian novel, this time told through the eyes of a young boy named Jonas. The society of “The Giver” is one where everyone is expected to be perfected. It was challenged for its themes of infanticide and suicide.
There were a lot of other books there I wish I could cover. However, the Banned Book Reading was an extremely intriguing event, and I recommend that those who can find the time to attend it next year.