Animal Farm

Animal Farm

By George Orwell

Summary:

George Orwell, born Eric Blair, wrote his classic Animal Farm during World War II and it was published in 1946.  Orwell was a renowned and open socialist.  He was not however a supporter of communism’s interpretation of socialism in the USSR or in Spain (he saw first hand oppressions in Spain when he fought for the Spain’s cause of independence).

Animal Farm opens in Britain where there is a small to mid-sized farm called “Manor Farm”.  The farm is run by a Mr. Jones, symbolizing Czar Nicholas II, along with five other men.  The animals work the farm at the human’s command and do so without reproach.

The animal and human coexistence begins to become threatened however when a pig named old Major, the incarnation of Karl Marx, prophesizes a rebellion of the animals that will overthrow Mr. Jones.  The animals prepare animals prepare for the coming rebellion not knowing when it will occur.  To replace Major, two other pigs find themselves coming to the forefront of leadership for the rest of the animals.  These two pigs Napoleon and Snowball, Stalin and Trotsky respectively, start the rebellion when Mr. Jones uses his whip to beat animals away from the food stores.  After that incident the animals begin to rule themselves.  However, it is not done so in complete democracy, Napoleon and Snowball are pushed into leadership positions by the rest of the animals.

As the story progresses the animals slowly give more and more power to the pigs who are like a ruling class, and begin to bear a striking resemblance to Mr. Jones.  This class is split when the issue of constructing a windmill is brought up by Snowball at the farm’s Sunday meeting.  Napoleon and Snowball fight with one another until Napoleon drives Snowball away through use of his nine dogs, the secret police of what is now called Animal Farm.

The animals accept the fate of Snowball, because they are told that he was a traitor and in league with Mr. Jones.  Soon after, Napoleon announces that the windmill he had so vehemently opposed is going to be built.  At this the animals start to become confused and angered that Napoleon appears to be contradicting himself.  The outrages do not stop there however, because as the story unfolds the pigs become more and more like Mr. Jones and his men.  The animals’ rights are continually reduced until they are working more than they used to for less.  Eventually Boxer, the seemingly dull witted strong horse who is the symbol of the proletariat, calls Napoleon on his hypocrisy.  As a result, Boxer is sold off to a glue plant when he can no longer work only to be replaced by five other horses.  The liberties of the animals continue to be stripped down until the pigs have all the power and freedom while the other animals are little more than slaves.  This return to Mr. Jones’ regime is completed when the pigs host some humans in the manor house.  The animals creep up to the window to watch the goings on.  Soon after an argument breaks out over the card game going on and the animals cannot tell which of the subjects before them are pigs and which are humans, because they all look the same.

Review:

This book is one of my favorite books.  I thoroughly enjoy Orwell as an author because of his fluid motion of thought through his writing.  It is smooth and works well in describing exactly what he hopes to portray. Animal Farm was written as a warning to Europe about the Soviets.  The book’s subjects are all representative of some aspect of the Russian society (ie Napoleon is Stalin, Snowball is Trotsky, Boxer is the proletariat, etc). Orwell has an ability to write in a manner that perfectly conveys what happened in Russia.  His nonchalant approach to writing about the pigs seeming indifference to their own transformation back to what they were to replace, the czar style government, makes the book.  Orwell is able to capture the essence of how the transformation took place and how the other animals were convinced that what was happening was the preferred outcome.  Orwell’s ability to portray what was actually going on in Russia is why this book is so good and is why anyone interested in Stalin, Russia, communism, or the history of Europe should read Animal Farm.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

Animal Farm was written during World War II, when much of Western Europe was very happy with communist Russia for its efforts to beat Germany.  This book is a slap in the face to that idea.  It was written as a warning to Europe to be on guard against a communist country.  Though it was only meant to be a precaution it was immediately met with disapproval from many in the Western World.  These people branded Orwell as a fascist and supporter of the Nazi regime for the way that he portrayed Stalin.  Slowly, however, this image began to die away as many realized Orwell was a socialist.  Also, as time wore on all that Orwell wrote seemingly came true.  His feelings about what would happen to Russia as Stalin’s power grew came true.  Now, Animal Farm is viewed as one of the best works of the 20^th century and Orwell one of its best authors.

Read Animal Farm on Google Books

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War

By Robert Cormier

Summary:

The Chocolate War is the story about an all boys’ school that lacks discipline when students act in malicious ways towards each other. The school is run by a student formed gang called the Vigils. This gang not only influences other students to do certain assignments that involve pranks and other wrongdoings to the school, but they also influence teachers in scams and briberies. The novel starts out when a normal, freshman named, Jerry, tries out for the football team. After his experience at tryouts he is immediately selected by the Vigils to receive his first assignment. The novel is centered on this fundraising effort by the school that involves the sale of chocolates. Brother Leon, who is a corrupt teacher notorious for his tolerance towards the Vigils, is asked to lead the sale and make sure that all of the chocolate gets sold. Brother Leon, then, turns to Archie, who is an assistant leader of the Vigils, to make sure that the sale “runs smoothly”. Archie plans for Jerry to refuse to sell chocolates as part of his assignment until the tenth day he would give in. Jerry takes matters into his own hands when he starts to reflect upon personal matters that involve his mother’s death and his relationship with his father. From this point on, Jerry continues to refuse to sell chocolates for the school. When chocolate sales start to take a dive, the Vigils take matters into their own hands. Archie and Emile Janza, who is another bully at school not part of the Vigils, start to use physical violence and excessive prank phone calling to try and persuade Jerry to sell chocolates in order to drive the sales back up. Jerry continues to refuse to sell the chocolates, and both Emile Janza and Archie scheme a plan to raffle off Jerry’s chocolates through a fight that is performed in front of the entire student body consisting of Emile Janza and Jerry as contenders. On the raffle tickets, themselves, it determines the attacks that each fighter would take. The fight was pretty even until Emile Janza started ignoring the commands from the raffle tickets and started unleashing on Jerry eventually striking him in the temple. Jerry is then rushed to the hospital with a fractured jaw and internal bleeding. The novel ends as Archie becomes even stronger by portraying the hero in destroying Jerry’s reputation and orchestrating the entire plan on behalf of the Vigils. While, on the other hand, Jerry feels weak and feels that the school has betrayed him in that they allowed the Vigils to pursue their immoral acts.

Review:

Robert Cormier, definitely, chose his words careful when writing The Chocolate War because although the novel read smoothly and was fairly short, there is distinct detail within every chapter that one must pay attention to. For example, Cormier instinctively uses symbols such as the poster that says “ Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?” as a literary tool to help the reader experience what the character is feeling at that point in the novel. At that particular point in the novel, Jerry was debating whether or not he should go against the Vigils and follow his own path. It is interesting that in this novel the true hero is the one that is, actually, the outsider in the school. Jerry is not the most popular guy in school and is, in fact, he is very lonely. He dreams about having a girlfriend and even buys a pornographic magazine only to throw it away and question whether someone will ever love him back. Jerry seems to find his niche at school in the only way that he knows how to, which is to reject the status quo and refuse sell chocolates. Although Jerry becomes physically abused because of his actions, he becomes the hero of the novel because he is the only one that will standup against the wrongs caused by the Vigils. Archie becomes the classic villain of the novel because although he seems powerful for Jerry’s destruction, he is still following the footsteps of everybody else in the Vigil gang. In other words he is a clone of his surroundings in that he is just other gang member. The novel is a constant power struggle between the powers of good and evil. In this novel it seemed that evil conquered all by the end, but in actuality, Jerry’s courage is the model and the persistence in his motives is what causes the powers of good to ultimately win over evil. In summary, I believe that Robert Cormier uses his literary devices to his advantage by establishing symbolism through certain background pieces within the text that helps the reader get a glimpse into what the character is feeling. In addition, I think that overall, driving theme of the novel is that goodness prevails even when evil seems to take over because it is the actions and the model that one sets that is determined as great in the end.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

The Chocolate War was banned due heavy use of profanity, sexual references, and references to bribery, distortion, and physical violence within the novel. There are many scenes in the book where the Vigils and other characters use extensive profanity. According to one, dissatisfied, parent’s estimation, there are 171 cuss words within the novel (www.freedomforum.org). There are two distinct sexual references within the book that involves the purchase of a pornographic magazine and an illusion to a masturbation scene when Archie blackmails Emile with a photo of him masturbating while sitting on a toilet. Throughout the book the Vigils use mafia type techniques to get whatever they want. For example, Carter, the leader of the Vigils, beat up a kid that would not comply with the Vigils. Unhappy parents believe that their kids will start to model this behavior. According to Robert Cormier, he says, “ The language and some of the controversial scenes are what gives the novel its credibility amongst young readers.” (www.freedomforum.org). Robert Cormier suggest that the public is only looking at the exterior language of the text and not what the overall message of the story has to offer. Considering that the book is placed on most eighth grade reading lists, there is no question that there are going to be some unhappy parents who believe that the book is just feeding their kids bad ideas. The Chocolate War remains at number 5 on the top 50 most frequently banned books according to Hebert Foerstel’s Banned in the USA (http://archives.cnn.com). The book is also part of the American Library Association 100 most frequently challenged books (www.ala.org). Robert Cormier devoted his life to keep his book off the challenged book list, but the book continued to receive criticism. Although the books does contain some explicit content on the surface, by reading the book for oneself one can see the author’s perspective and can grasp the overall theme and message that novel is trying to deliver.

The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries

By Jim Carroll

Summary:

The Basketball Diaries is an autobiographical account of Jim Carroll’s life between the ages 12 to 15 in the form of his edited Diary. The story takes place in New York City. In the opening chapters, Jim’s basketball coach, who he suspects is a homosexual, gives Jim’s teammates fake IDs, enabling them to play in the 13-and-under basketball league which they dominate. Jim and his friends are trouble-makers. In addition to basketball, they enjoy drinking, stealing, and sniffing cleaning products in order to get high. After transferring from a Catholic school that he despises, he begins smoking marijuana, often times by himself. His curiosity for drugs grows, as he moves on to opiates and eventually heroin. This combined with some confusing sexual experiences lead to his decision to prostitute himself. Despite having the opportunity to play for his virtually unbeatable high school basketball team, Jim drops out of school. When he returns, he continues his drug use and is eventually sent to prison. After being released from prison after a very short time, the temptation to use drugs still exists, so Jim gives in.

Review:

I would recommend this book, especially to young adults. It shows how natural teenage thoughts, confusion, curiosity, and desires, which are very easy to relate to, can cause one to develop into something terrible. The combination of the mean streets of New York City and Jim’s curiosity leads to his experimentation with many drugs and eventual addiction to heroin, and his sexual desires result in confusing encounters and self-prostitution. The way in which these experiences unfold in the life of a developing adolescent is comparable to those of the book Go Ask Alice.

Jim uses basketball as a metaphor for his life off of the court. The game is the only activity that is consistent and causes wholesome happiness in his life. However, even Jim’s Biddie League becomes corrupt due to older players with fake IDs and a coach who has desires toward his young male players. Although Jim is very talented, drugs ruin his dream of becoming a basketball star at the next level. This transition as a player is similar to the change he goes through as a person. As a young child, everyone is innocent, but as Jim grew older he eventually became addicted to various drugs, which ruin part of his life. At the end of the diary, after feeling the negative effects of a usage of heroin, he gets up to puke and exclaims, “I just want to be pure.” In the same way that Jim wants to play the game the way that he used to, he also wants his innocence and purity back. Carroll shows how normal adolescent feelings can turn into disaster under certain circumstances in a way that the reader easily can relate to.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

This book can be considered controversial for many reasons. The most apparent is the language that Carroll uses. In addition to excessive profanity, he describes obscene sexual situations and thoughts with detail, such as Jim’s and his friends’ responses to nude pictures of lesbians that he found in a wallet that they stole from a woman. It is also sexually controversial because the seemingly responsible coach of Jim’s team likes to touch the little boys in a manner that confuses the author. Later in Jim’s diary, he recalls when he skips school and enters the movie theater with someone who he thinks is a woman. He does not realize the truth until after he has made out with him. However, the most dangerous aspect of the book is the descriptive accounts of Jim’s drug usage. He begins by sniffing cleaning products and drinking beer, moves on to marijuana and LSD, and eventually becomes addicted to heroin. Although he only starts using heroin every once in a while, he ends up describing a period of time when he remains high for four consecutive days, which he describes as “temporary death.” He also has to resort to prostituting himself in order to support the addiction.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By J.K. Rowling

Summary:

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter is forced to spend his summer with his muggle family outside of Hogwarts. While staying at his muggle family’s house, he gets a surprise visit from little Dobby, who is the house-elf at Hogwarts. Dobby warns Harry to not return to Hogwarts for school this year because Dobby knows of terrible things that are going to be happening that would put Harry’s life in danger. But being the courageous person everyone knows Harry Potter as being; he decides to ignore Dobby’s warning and returns to Hogwarts as planned. When Harry returns to Hogwarts and has spent some time there, there are strange things going on and something is definitely not right. Harry starts hearing mysterious voices from inside the walls. Multiple Muggle-born students are being attacked. Ron’s little sister is kidnapped from Hogwarts and there is a message written in blood on the wall of the bathroom saying, “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware”.

Review:

There are quite a few reasons why some parents may not want their child to pick up and read this three hundred and forty-one page book. One reason is Harry potter practices disobedience and lying multiple times in the book. He repeatedly lies to avoid explaining what he has done and is always keeping secrets from his elders. Some parents might think that for a hero like Harry Potter to lie would promote lying to their children. Harry also has a muggle family that lives outside of Hogwarts that he hates and says that it is impossible not to hate them. Since he has no family at home, he finds family at Hogwarts. Some parents might be a bit skeptical about this because every time they discipline their children, their child could want to run away to Hogwarts to find a better and more welcoming family. There is also a good amount of “bathroom humor” in the book. J.K. Rowling decided to make the scene where the mystery of the chamber of secrets is solved in a bathroom. There is also a lot of violent content in the book. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets speaks to Harry and says, “Come… come to me. …Let me rip you. …Let me tear you. …Let me kill you.” Some people are not okay with reading about violence so they might not be okay with reading the book.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

The book tends to really keep people glued to the page. J.K. Rowling talks about a boarding school that is populated with ghosts and monsters, and also explains the crazy lives that the students live that attend Hogwarts. The plot of the book always keeps the reader on their toes. It consists of a giant man-eating spider, a ghost who lives in the girls’ bathroom, time travel, magical-transformation potions, near death experiences of many of the most important characters, and a confrontation with the most evil, evil wizard, Voldemort. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a book that pulls adults and children into another world, which is sometimes just what everyone needs.

Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice

by Beatrice Sparks

Summary:

The book, Go Ask Alice, was published in 1971 with only a copyright date to its name; the novel had no known author or editor as the cover stated “anonymous.” It was then in the mid-1980’s that a supposed editor of the book was uncovered. Beatrice Sparks, teen psychologist and Mormon youth counselor was uncovered to have actually written the majority if not the entire novel. While the complete authenticity of the author is still a bit of a mystery, Sparks states that the “journal entry style” of the book is not the complete real diary of a troubled teen but a compilation of stories from the lives of multiple patients and well as fictional input. While the story does contain a character named “Alice” in a small paragraph, the name does not seem to connect or correlate to a specific person within the story or real life. The main character of the story and supposed “Alice” is a 15 year old middle class white girl who lives the life of a normal teen until she faces a difficult move when there family relocates and she is forced in to a new school and environment. It is then that “Alice” is invited to a party and tries LSD for the first time pretty much by accident. From there, the problem spirals out of control as “Alice” experiments with drugs like pot, acid, and speed. Fulfilling a bit of the “prodigal son” role, Alice goes on spells of sobriety and hard-core usage; she meets many people throughout her journey and runs away from home multiple times. After on and off drug usage, “Alice” swears off drugs and comes home for good, after a few bad experiences with her home-coming, as she is pressured and bullied by past friends and users due to

Her sobriety, she finally gets through it all and finds a good guy, “Joel” who she begins dating. As the book ends with a bit of a happy, fairy tale ending, “Alice” vows to stay clean and decides not to keep a diary any longer. As the last page is turned, the novel’s end is bittersweet as the epilogue states the subject of the novel dies a mere three weeks after she stops keeping a diary, with the death extremely vague and reasons unknown.

Review:

While this was my second time reading Go Ask Alice, my first time, at age 13 and second, at age 18, I found my thoughts and understanding of it to be extremely varied. After my current reading, I was left feeling uneasy about the ending and how terribly fate twists. I found it to be an extremely easy read as far as vocabulary and style of writing is concerned while it was difficult to just pick up and start reading do to its depressive story and dark issues that are covered. The book is written in the form of a diary making it more difficult not to become emotionally involved in the plot and story. The story, in all honesty is extremely dark and depressive and “Alice” never really gets better until the end, which plummets in the epilogue. I would highly recommend this story to teens, as it shows high schoolers the reality of drugs and does not have the parental lecturing which is usually associated.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

Since it’s publishing in 1971, Go Ask Alice has become one of the most challenged and banned books of all time. Due to its frequent and strong references to sex, heavy drug usage, and teen pregnancy, libraries and schools across the country have banned the novel as it sits at number 23 on the American Library Association (ALA) “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books” from 1990-2001. While in no way do I agree with banning or restricting the ability to read a book, its reasons for being banned are legitimate within the guidelines as it displays extreme profanity and drug use. In Charleston, South Carolina, Dr.Chester Floyd, Berkeley County school district’s superintendent, pulled the novel off the shelves of all public schools within the district. This course of action occurred after an angry mother protested the book when her 8^th grade daughter was forced to read excerpts out loud in one of her classes. The student’s mother did not want her child reading such profanity and sex references out loud. One of the most controversial lines of the story fall in the latter part of the book as “Alice” is quoted saying “Another day, another blowjob.”  Which references her sexual favors, which she does in exchange for drugs.  With this, in the last 5 years Go Ask Alice has entered the ALA’s “top ten most banned books” where it remains.

Black Like Me

Black Like Me

By John Howard Griffin

Summary:

John Howard Griffin was the author and main character of a well-known book, Black Like Me. Griffin was born June 16, 1920 in Dallas Texas were he lived until he moved to France, in his teenage years. Coming from Texas, France opened his eyes to the racial division his country was apart of. While still in France Griffin studied medicine which would later play a role in his induction into being black. He joined the American army from 1942-1945 where he had a concussion, which caused him to later loose his eyesight. After returning home to Texas he married and moved to a ranch in Mansfield. Randomly one day in 1957 Griffins eyesight came back and this opened his eyes to a great idea. He would undertake the commitment to changing races. He wanted to understand what life was truly like for blacks and in order to do so he would use medical treatment to alter the color of his skin so that he would appear to be a black person. Griffin experimented off and on with being black for two months while he traveled in the South. He would often visit a town twice once as a black man and then again as his self, there were noticeable differences in the visits. This experiment of his would become the foundation for his book, Black Like Me. After publication of his book the controversial topic caused negative reactions amongst some people. Griffin and his family felt the heat from white racist and fled to Mexico for a few years. After returning home Griffin would later die of diabetes. The book is basically a diary of his accounts as a black man. His curiosity and desire to help the African Americans led him to undergo such a radical experiment.  Emerging himself into their community allowed him to come away with a greater understanding of the races.
The book starts off with Griffin undergoing a physical change in order to further understand the African American race and its hardships. He finds out that life as a black is very difficult and downright depressing. The whites treat the blacks as inferiors and don’t hold back in doing so. During his experiment he found out how hard simple every day task were to do just because he was now black. Going to the bathroom was no longer as simple as finding the closest restroom but you had to find one that only blacks were permitted to use. Eating a restaurant was nearly impossible, most times people refused to wait on you or you had to get your food to go. Very few hotels were excepting to blacks, living spaces were limited and thus forced many blacks into the ghettos. Griffin realized that even choosing where he wanted to sit had become a chore, he couldn’t just sit down where ever he wanted on a bus, he couldn’t sit on park benches and if a white wanted a seat he occupied he had to give it up to them. Griffin found him self very depressed and it was dangerous to be black because the white had no problems striking fear into the blacks eyes. The self hatred was a huge problem amongst blacks but with little positive going on around you there were few places to turn to for anything positive. Not only does this book help people learn about being an African American but it also gives a look into Griffin’s own personal change throughout his experiment. When the experiment first starts off he finds himself looking into a mirror not recognizing what he sees. Over time as he becomes more familiar with the face and more excepting to the fact that he has a new identity he also develops the realization that this new appearance come with a lot of baggage. He looks run down and out of hope, like life has beaten him.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

The book could have been banned because it was crossing the color line in a era where doing so resulted in punishment from the white race. Even if you were white you were not immune to the punishments of blacks if you choose to side with them at all. There was zero tolerance for support of African Americans and a book like this showed how bad it really was to be black. The book threatened the power whites held over black because it shown a light on the trials and tribulation blacks were facing at the hand of the whites. White people were in power and if they didn’t like the book then the book would not be allowed.

My Sister’s Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper

By Jodi Picoult

Summary:

The novel tells the story of a young girl, named Anna Fitzgerald, who wishes to obtain medical emancipation from her parents.  Anna was born as Rhode Island’s first ever “designer baby” after her older sister, Kate, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at a very young age.  Kate’s older brother, Jesse, was not a perfect match for organ donations for Kate, which led to her mother’s idea of having another child who could be a guaranteed donor match.  Since birth, where Anna’s chord blood was used for Kate’s treatment, Anna has been donating marrow, blood, organs and whatever other body parts have been deemed necessary for Kate’s treatment.  Kate has grown accustomed to her disease, using her impending death as both a threat and a joke for her family, seemingly immune to the pain that she causes her sister.  The family has been so preoccupied with Kate’s illness, that they do not notice when Jesse becomes an arsonist, burning down structures such as abandoned buildings.  Also, Anna’s parents have been so disconnected from their youngest daughter that they are completely surprised when they receive Anna’s petition for medical emancipation.

The complex entity that is Anna’s family includes her mother, Sara, her father, Brian and then her older brother and sister, Jesse and Kate.  Not only does this novel share Anna’s perspective, but also those of her family and others involved in her trial, such as Campbell Alexander, her lawyer, and Julia Romano, who has been appointed as Anna’s guardian ad litem.  The many angles at which this one situation is viewed provides the reader with an array of evidence to support their own opinions concerning Anna and Kate’s lives as they are followed throughout the course of the novel.

Review:

I am incredibly impressed by Picoult’s personal and detailed writing.  As a person who is eager to find the faults in many novels, I have been silenced by this story’s quality and importance.  While reading the novel, I strongly identified with more than one of the characters, even if they had opposing views.  Although I would disagree with the medical choices made on Anna’s behalf, I understand the motives behind them and the conditions underwhich they were made.  I loved the variety of stories that were being woven together; there was the love story between Campbell and Julia, the sisterly bond which Kate and Anna shared, Jesse’s many attempts at arson, and a parents’ struggle to prolong their daughter’s life.

Before reading the novel, I had the opinion that if my sister needed an organ, I would happily and eagerly donate whatever she needed, and that it would be selfish for anyone to not use their own life in a desperate attempt to save another.  What I hadn’t considered was that I was able to make that choice and develop my opinion without being forced into surgery for someone else’s benefit.  The main difference between my decision and Anna’s was just that; I would have made the decision to donate, but in her case, Anna was given no choice.  She was aware that she was only given life in order to prolong the life of another.

I have been thoroughly impressed by Picoult’s ability to create doubt in any reader’s mind, and for that, I would recommend this fabulous book to anyone in need of an intense, in depth look into their own prejudices and beliefs.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

This novel can be considered harmful for a variety of reasons, but the most important element to its controversy is that it makes the reader question accepted ideas in society.  Picoult raises the question of whether the medical community’s obligation to protect and save lives at any cost is always ethical.  It seems that the new medical advancements are coming too quickly for our minds to handle.  This novel directly argues whether it is ethical to use one life in order to save another.  Anna is alive for the pure reason of providing life for her sister; she is not given the choice of donating to Kate, but instead is forced to do so by her own family, in particular, her mother.

Is one life more valuable than another?  When does donation of organs, blood, cells and marrow become torture instead of medical protocol?  How does one know when to stop in their attempt to save another life?  These are just a few of the questions that this novel forces the reader to consider.  This book challenges the central idea of the medical community: to save life at any cost.  Instead of merely arguing from a medical stand point, it also threatens the ideal of parents always having their child’s best interest at heart, in particular, while making their child’s medical decisions.  Who has the right to sacrifice one child’s life for another? Does a mother? The reader is left contemplating these questions, a result that is considered dangerous by many.

King Dork

King Dork

By Frank Portman

Summary:

King Dork is Frank Portman’s first novel. Frank Portman, also known as Dr. Frank, is the lead singer of San Francisco based rock band, The Mr. T Experience (MTX). Frank Portman writes this book through the perspective of high school sophomore, Tom Henderson. This book follows Tom through his first high school party, the painful embarrassment of P.E. classes, and his first, rather risqué encounter with the opposite sex. Tom is constantly getting beat up, bullied, and is subject to countless jokes at his expense. Tom is creative, witty, sarcastic, and bright. When Tom discovers his fathers old collection of books, he gets tangled up in a series of mysteries, including a murder case, and the mystery of what his father was like as a kid. With his only friend, Sam, Tom discusses and creates rock bands, solves mysteries, and delves deep into the world of high school. Portman uses J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in The Rye as a comparison for Tom and his life. This book satirizes the culture that is obsession with The Catcher in The Rye, pointing out that everyone falls in love with this character that is crude, snobby and rich. He points out the flaws of a society where people idolize someone who has accomplished nothing, and then turns around and preaches to work hard and become successful.

Review:

This was a difficult book to put down. Portman did a wonderful job in getting the reader to relate to his main character, Tom. He added puzzles and mysteries that made me want to keep reading, but were never too over the top. Rather than feeling sorry for Tom, the reader feels a certain connection. Portman portrays him as way cooler than the “Normal Psychotic people” as Tom calls them, and often times the reader finds they would rather be friends with Tom than join in jokes at his expense. The painful experiences that Tom is forced to endure throughout his sophomore year seem like they would be disturbing, but with Tom’s sarcastic narration, the reader is able to laugh along with Tom. Not only is this book a great read, but it also helps the reader realize more about who they really are. It asks whether one falls for the Holden Caulfield obsessed society, or if they question authority and choose their own path.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

This book was never formally banned from bookstores or most libraries, but many public schools did not allow it in their libraries, and most parents would probably protest their children reading it. This book shows how cruel kids in high school can be, it contains sexually explicit scenes, and teen partying. There are many references to drug and alcohol use, and it questions the curriculum of many schools. The fact that this book satirizes an entire culture that is so prevalent in schools (Holden Caulfield idolizers) is enough to make most school authorities angry. When Portman adds references to marijuana, alcohol, “psychotic normal people”, and blow jobs, the book crosses the line and becomes offensive to some. Though this book is far from dangerous, many schools, and parents would like to keep their children sheltered from so much of what is discussed in this book.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

By Oscar Wilde

Summary:

The Picture of Dorian Gray is about influence, youth, beauty, upper class society, and art. The story begins with a portrait. The portrait is by an artist named Basil Hallward, and depicts Dorian Gray. Basil’s friend Lord Henry Wotton is introduced to Dorian, and sets out to influence his young, unformed mind. Lord Henry convinces Dorian that the painting will only remind him of his peak in beauty when his is older and seemingly less attractive. Dorian soon falls in love with Sybil Vane, but breaks off the engagement. Since the, now conceded, Dorian felt guilt he noticed the portrait of himself by Basil had changed. It showed the sins he was committing. Sybil Vane kills herself over the loss of Dorian, and Lord Henry convinces him that the suicide was artistic. Lord Henry also gives Dorian the book of a sinful Frenchman at that time. Dorian begins to live a very troubling life, full of sin and pays many visits to his local opium den. The influence of Lord Henry weighs heavy on his life. As his life takes a downward spiral, the painting changes. He takes it down and hides it in his closet, so only he could watch as the painting transforms from a youthful, handsome young man to a wrinkly old man.
Many rumors fly out of the mouths of the upper class members of society in London about Dorian, yet none of them bother him because he is still accepted by everyone due to his youthfulness. Dorian relied solely on his beauty in his superficial society. Basil, who was truly concerned about Dorian’s lifestyle stopped by to tell him the rumors he had heard. The anger over his inability to mature and his learning of sinful acts causes him to act with disrespect and disregard for human rights and dignity. How he reacts to Basil and the now hideous painting is truly spectacular.

Review:

Oscar Wilde was an Irish born playwright, novelist, poet, and the author of many short stories. He is most commonly known for being, what many have called a bisexual, a homosexual, and a paederastic, writer in the 1800’s when homosexuality was almost universally known to be “immoral.” Wilde now is a figure that many people may associate themselves with simply because of his willingness to become independent. If one were to talk about banned books, they would be doing themselves a disservice not to mention Oscar Wilde, simply because of his controversial stances on societal issues in his time period. Wilde was one of the most successful playwrights in London, and the biggest celebrity in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Also, he was one of the most famous defendants in 1895 when he was convicted of “gross indecency” and sentenced to two years of hard labor. Oscar Wilde made The Picture of Dorian Gray and autobiography in many ways, and there is no question why this novel was his most famous work. While many may still disagree on the lifestyle of Oscar Wilde, there is no doubt that he has made a tremendous impact on the western world just by giving masses of people the opportunity to glimpse inside his mind.     The reason this is such a great book to read is because Oscar Wilde is now a popular culture icon. He is an author that is not only well known but very respected. Even with the hot button issues over homosexuality, anyone can find enjoyment whilst reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. This book can connect with a lot of people even after over one hundred years since it was written, because it deals with the struggles within ourselves between beauty and moral obligations. Not only is this a riveting story, it teaches you how to conduct or not conduct yourself in a world of dependence.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

The Picture of Dorian Gray was considered homoerotic and suggestive. Many critics, including the Daily Chronicle on June 30, 1890 said that there is, “one element which will taint every young mind that comes in contact with it. The first edition was more suggestive to the readers, and Wilde quickly responded by adding chapter to give more background to the characters. While much of the uproar was directed at the homosexuality of not only themes in the novel but Oscar Wilde himself, there was also a stir over the immoral influences. Many attempted to argue that the acts encouraged by Lord Henry were damaging to those who read the horrifying story of young Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde’s response to those who saw “corrupting influences” in The Picture of Dorian Gray was that there is, in fact, “a terrible moral in Dorian Gray.” The aesthetic movement that Wilde led and its clash with living a “moral life” shown in the novel haunted Oscar Wilde for years. After the release of this story in 1890, Wilde was brought to trial in 1895. This specific work of his was used against him in court. The moral dilemmas there were written were in direct conflict with societal rules. Wilde used The Picture of Dorian Gray as his autobiography claiming, “Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other ages perhaps.” Not only was this book banned because of the sexual undertones, it eventually helped send Wilde to a couple of years of imprisonment.

 

Read The Picture of Dorian Gray on Google Books

On the Road

On the Road

By Jack Kerouac

Summary:

On the Road, written by Jack Kerouac in 1951, is a key reflection of the era following World War 2 known as the Beat Generation. This time period was inspired and characterized by new experiences including drugs, jazz, and self-exploration. These elements occur almost constantly throughout the story in On the Road, which is largely autobiographical. The story is very simple and there is almost no plot development. The narrator, Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s fictional counterpart, teams up with his wild and passionate friend and hero Dean Moriarty, or Neal Cassady in real life, to travel the country and later the continent in search of adventure. The two friends meet up, travel, and live with a vast array of characters they meet on the road, making new friends, losing old ones, marrying one girl, divorcing another. They travel to all kinds of destinations, including San Francisco, Denver, New York, Chicago, Detroit, and later Mexico City. The routine upon completing a journey is always the same as Sal describes the monotonous and meaningless lifestyle the ever-changing group of buddies endures. Dancing, partying, drinking, panhandling, driving, talking, doing drugs, having sex…This is the life of the Beat Generation thoroughly described by Kerouac in various contexts as Sal jumps from city to city. The destructive nature of this lifestyle is then emphasized as Sal begins to describe not only Dean’s, but also his own devolution into mindless, senseless, and empty beings living endless lives where the road never ends and one more adventure is never enough.

Review:

I found On the Road to be an enjoyable and very different piece of literature to read. While the themes and atmosphere are very similar to The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises, Kerouac distinguishes this story with slightly more controversial subject material and perhaps a more identifiable protagonist. The writing style is simple and it is not difficult to pinpoint when in the story Kerouac steps out of narrating Sal’s adventures to describing the over-arching meaning of the effects of the lifestyle inherent to the Beat Generation. That being said, Sal and Dean’s experiences quickly become rather monotonous, with a familiar procedure of driving for hours, looking for girls, finding some people to live with, getting money, and then just degenerating even further into partying and decadence. It is easy to lose track of all the names flying around as the two friends meet literally dozens of people on the road, most of whom share the Beat Generation ideals and also engage in the incessant drinking and fornication. Reading these escapades becomes tiresome, but in being tedious creates a totally convincing atmosphere that often had me asking myself: “What are these people doing with their lives?” I cannot disagree with the fact that On the Road is seen as an American classic. With simple language and straightforward experiences, the epitome of Beat is described through Dean Moriarty and his insatiable desire to see and try new things. It is a fascinating personality that I assume described a great deal of people, including Kerouac himself, in the post-war era that many people today known little about. With patience the reader can appreciate the lengths the author has gone to provide the ultimate characterization of the Beat Generation, a generation very dissimilar from our own.

Why is this book “dangerous?”:

While On the Road was very popular when it was released (and more people are beginning to discover it now), there was a great deal of controversy surrounding it. What is seen as free-spirited wandering by some, others will see as vice-filled scavenging. The things Sal and Dean see and do on the road are often not admirable at all. There is frequent talk of stealing gas and cars to get around, wandering the streets for vacant bars to occupy until morning, shameful amounts of alcohol and drug consumption (the effects of which are more than evident in Dean’s almost hysterical nature by the end of the story), and other lewd behavior that is merely part of these characters everyday routine. Consequently, there is no justification and the vice seems more than acceptable. And while the language and imagery by today’s standards would seem tame was at the time (1950’s) bold and frowned upon. The parts that stood out most to me as being controversial were instance where Sal and his friends look for girls, and begin dancing and having sex with girls as young as fourteen. The morality of these decisions is sometimes brought up by Sal, but is quickly dismissed with Dean’s dominating presence. It is hard to say whether or not Kerouac is advocating this lifestyle when one has not actually been a part of the Beat Generation. But one thing for sure is that the mannerisms and activities of the Beat Generation are bluntly presented and drilled into the reader’s mind so that, again, a routine develops. While I think the influence the book had on people is definitely a factor in its controversial reputation, I think the immediate cause for ‘alarm’ came about with the plain concrete descriptions of taboo activities, most importantly sex, and the accessibility of such mature content (again, for the time).