Friday, October 5, 2012

Banned Book Week

I did a banned books post a couple years ago, and since there weren't many people reading this blog back then, I thought I'd do a repost. I have added to the old post, and that will be in red.

This is banned books week. The American Library Association has a list of the most challenged books of the decade, and I highly recommend checking it out. If you're like me, the list will boggle your mind. It's important to remember that there are still people out there who would censor some of the best books ever written. A number of the bloggers I follow have written about their favorite banned books, and reading these posts has inspired me to write about the banned book that means the most to me.

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time-hands down-banned or otherwise. I didn't read the book in school, which is surely an indictment of my education. I read it on my own after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. I read it over the course of a Western road trip with a good friend of mine, and it had an immediate, profound effect on me. For my money, Atticus Finch is the best character in American literature. His integrity and perseverance in the face of evil still inspire me to this day.

Then there's Scout. Let's just say Jean Louise Finch made quite an impression on me. When the doctor told Meg and I that our first born was going to be a girl, I knew her name had to be Scout. Luckily for me, Meg was amenable, and I have to say, our Scout embodies the spirit of her namesake.

We did get a little push back from Scout this summer about her name. Like any good millenial (I think that's what they're calling her generation), she googled her name. There's not a ton out there (I did some googling myself), but there are some negative comments: Scout is a dog's name, no one will ever take anyone named Scout seriously, that kind of thing.

Ah, the internet, home of anonymous ignorance and cowardice.

I think Scout was mostly concerned about the transition to middle school and fitting in. As much as it bugs me, middle schoolers, for the most part, don't like to stand out. I was sympathetic to Scout's feelings and we had some long talks about the things that truly make a person unique. Now that Scout has made it through her first quarter of middle school, I think she's feeling better about her name. We were talking about names in the car the other day, and Scout commented that there are a lot of unique names nowadays, much more so than in the past. I told her that sounded about right, sensing that she had made her peace with her unusual name. I've always known Scout would need to be older to truly appreciate her name. I can respect that she's still working it out, and I have faith that she'll get there.


I think the main reason people have tried to ban Mockingbird is because of racist language, particularly, use of the n word. The language makes people uncomfortable, but that's the point. Harper Lee was shining a light on hatred and racism. Yes, the n word is abhorrent, but to exclude it from a book set in Jim Crow Alabama would have been dishonest. And that's the thing about To Kill a Mockingbird. It is the most unflinchingly honest book I have ever read.

I make it a point to reread The Bird every year. If you haven't read it in a while, maybe now is the time.

10 comments:

  1. I agree with you that To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the greatest books EVER. I have lots of favorites but that certainly is among them. I read it in my early teens and reread it several times.

    As for the name Scout. Very cool name. It's unusual enough to be considered "unique" but not so unique that people question the parent's sanity.

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    1. Well, there are probably lots of other reasons to question our sanity.

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  2. Hey, would you consider my name (Mollie) to be a "normal" name? Well, if I had a nickel for every time someone said "OH I HAD/HAVE A DOG NAMED MOLLY!", I could've bought Facebook pre-IPO.

    And you know what? I always left them happy because they had a reminder of something they loved. I'm sure Scout'll probably have that same effect.

    Scout's a damn fine name. I'd've wanted a Scout as a friend in middle school. I was stuck with Jennifers/Jessicas/Katies/Kellies ;)

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    1. Thanks for this Mollie. I will share your thoughts with Scout.

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  3. That is a wonderful book. There is no better book about what a lawyer should be.

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    1. Absolutely. Every lawyer should be required to read Mockingbird.

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  4. I think I maybe commented on this a couple of years ago. My how time flies. Well I gues Oscar Wilde was banned, although more his lifestyle than his books. Recently read A Picture of Dorien Grey and was totally hooked - his only novel, funnily enough.

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    1. It is wild to think of how fast the time goes, how long we've know each other in the blogosphere. I haven't read any Wilde, another knock against my public school education I suppose. Consider DG on the to-read list.

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  5. I love your daughters name because I love that book as well.

    I often wonder if Vito will ever pushback about his name. I'm thinking not, but you never know.

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