Literary Anxieties

The world of literature is a more complicated entity than many people imagine.  As the world progresses, there a more and more problems that are faced both by and within literature itself.  Today, it seems to be accepted that good literature is that which is willing to push the boundaries and expose the controversial topics that riddle our culture and world.  By bringing to light the societal qualms, authors hope to open the eyes of their readers to world issues, injustices, or merely entertainment on a more aggressive level.  In doing this, the literary world is at constant opposition by groups who demand that the gratuitous materials of these pieces be either revised or removed.  It is the argument that is made between those who call the material overly-grotesque and those who look past the gratuitous content towards the pieces' redeeming social value that causes what I would consider to be the primary reason of concern that faces the world of literature today.  

When one considers what can be considered offensive in today's culture, there truly is little safe room.  With an ever-increasing number of issues that would be considered 'edgy' or 'sensitive', it seems that any type of controversy within the works of literature could by some means be objectionable.  With topics such as abortion, homosexuality, and civil injustices and prejudices at the head of many renowned pieces of literature there has been an increasingly high number of retaliations in attempt to protect young minds and remove content that could be harmful when viewed under the wrong lens.  For example, when we consider Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, there has been a great deal of controversy that has led to the pieces' removal from many public libraries and schools.  While those who oppose the book would argue that the continuous use of the 'n' word and reference to slavery in general may in some way harden a young reader to the realities of slavery, others may suggest that this piece does well to highlight a much different time in our nation's history.  Through better understanding a piece of literature such as this, promoters of the book would hope that the novel's real themes would shine through and that a reader might not be caught up in the seemingly objectionable materials.  By approaching literature as a tool to further one's understanding of real issues, the promoters of these pieces hope that learning may occur and that the positive aspects of the pieces will outweigh the gratuitous materials.

The concerns that face the world of literature are by no means black and white issues.  While literature concerns itself with inspiring the world for better, it is often met by opposition who believes that there can be less-hazardous approach to doing so.  I am not in any way trying to take a stance on such a difficult issue as I have brought up in this piece, however I do understand that it is important to realize that not everything that we read is as widely accepted as we may think.  There is constant controversy surrounding literature today and it is our duty as active readers and learners to keep informed and open-minded to the opinions of all people who interact with these delicate issues.