Henry Miller’s novel Tropic of Cancer explores the nomadic, Bohemian lifestyle prominent amongst the artistic community in 1930s Paris; Miller writes as himself, a struggling American, describing without restraint the sexually explicit and distasteful detail of his experiences while living within this poverty-ridden community. The novel was first published in the United States in 1961, and soon became a catalyst for a slew of trials discussing the ethics of publishing a book that could be labeled “obscene” under the First Amendment. Twenty-one US Supreme courts attempted to ban the book on grounds of obscenity, including Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael Musmanno who called the novel: “not a book…a pit of putrefaction, a slimy gathering …show more content…
The novel does, however, possess literary merit in its exposure of people who descend to animalistic tendencies, and the subsequent negative consequences that follow. Miller specifically states at the beginning of the novel his refusal to remove any part of his book, that he will expose his mind and society completely and with total honesty. It is not meant to be a book Miller says: “but a libel, slander, defamation of character” (Miller). Its intent is to expose the realities and philosophies prevalent within this era in history, to reveal real people’s thoughts and motivations. James C.L. Brown, a literary critic and college professor in “Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer in the College Curriculum of One Happy Teacher” solidifies this in his commentary of the significance of the novel: “Tropic of Cancer [is] a perfect representation of how heterosexual men really think… everything they think about women is colored by the filter of their preoccupation with women as sexual targets” (Brown). Because of this honest representation of thought, and the description of male and female characters’ behaviors within the novel, readers are exposed to the actual thoughts and motivations of these characters, and are presented an opportunity to dispute the moral grounds of those actions when …show more content…
There were many instances while reading the novel that I found myself disgusted by the overt sexual description and explicit language, however, is one opinion, or even the opinions of a few interest groups and a government entity enough to declare the book unreadable for all of society? Not all Americans may find the book offensive or unenlightening, and may instead find some truth or new insight into the human condition. Particularly, the effects of a prioritization of primal desires: hunger, sex, and other addictions, which according to Miller’s description of himself and the other characters in the novel, causes a degeneration of character. This is supported in “Making a Place for Henry Miller in the American Classroom” in which Karl Orend asserts Miller’s original purpose for the sexual description: “its intent was, Miller said, to awaken people from a form of spiritual death created by the demands of modern urban society. Sex without love was ultimately a failure, and its depiction was intended to be condemned in his work. Miller said he abhorred pornography.” However, Miller partakes in the majority of these acts within the novel, which he states he condemns, and documents them in great detail. It is
n the “Pat Conroy Letter” (October 24, 2007) to the Charleston Gazette, Pat Conroy implies that the only good in banning books is giving students irresistible temptation to read them. Conroy emphasizes the dangers of banning books by juxtaposing books to real life utilizing diction, imagery, and conjunctions. He uses sarcasm in order to persuade the school board to change their book banning policy. Conroy captures the audience’s attention with a historical allusion to the Hatfields and McCoys to relate to the people in Charleston, West Virginia using sarcasm and humor in hopes of convincing that censorship is wrong.
Reading Chapter 11, “Genders and Sexualities,” written by Carrie Hintz was to construct and enact alternatives for these two traditional categories. Data is clearly indicated that sexual material is some of the most controversial content in literature. Children’s literature that is involved with adolescent’s childhood are key battlegrounds for attitudes about gender and sexuality. The significance of gender and sexuality in children’s literature is the persistent investment in what is perceived to be the innocence of children. Innocence is defined in part by children’s enforced ignorance of sexual matters. According to James Kincaid, “Youth and innocence are two of the most eroticized constructions of the past two centuries. Innocence was that
For younger readers this book carries very strong language but it has a strong message. One of those is that it shows what students will do for drugs. While researching the book you discover that in South Carolina, Berkley County school district, was one of the first to pull the book from schools and libraries. This occurred after a mom protested the book when her 8th grade daughter had to read little experts from the book to her classmates. The students mother did not want her to be reading a book with so much profanity and references to sex. One of the most controversial lines that comes from the book is when Alice writes in her journal “Another day, another blow-job”. She doe...
Ray Bradbury's famous classic Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic portrayal of America in which books are outlawed. The law is upheld by “firemen” who burn all remaining literature. The main character, Guy Montag, is a firemen who questions the morality of his occupation after discovering the beauty of words. The novel inspired French director François Truffaut to construct a film with his own version. Although Truffaut drifts from the original story he is able to produce a magnificent movie, however it is not certain that Truffaut was able to capture the same essence of the story.
In the end, Miller did a fine job getting his argument across and keeping his audiences attention throughout his essay but his lack of emotional appeal and his usage of fallacies made his paper weak. Miller made his paper stronger by including similes and using a fast-paced tone without confusing terms or boring wording. Finally, I believe that Miller could have included emotions to make his paper perfect but without it he only used sentence structure, a fast-paced tone and appropriate terms for his audience to make his paper intriguing.
FACTS: “Fanny Hill”, a.k.a. “Memoirs of a Woman Of Pleasure” was a book written by English author John Cleland, which told its story through a series of letters written by the stories’ protagonist to an unknown recipient. The novel generated immediate controversy upon release due to its sexual content and explicit subject matter, with its protagonist being a prostitute in London. The book went through multiple legal allegations in Britain and the U.S. before finally arriving in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The plaintiff claimed that the book was “lewd and obscene”, and motioned to ban the book. The book, defended by publisher G.T. Putnam Sons, was earlier defended as being “a joyful celebration of normal, non-perverted sex.”
It is hardly reasonable to expect a man who will forgo employment that allows such benefits like the necessity of food to attend to the needs of a war. Yet some people criticized Henry Miller because he did not take action; he hardly discussed the war in Tropic of Cancer; and, in their opinion, it is his moral obligation as a citizen-writer to address it. However, Miller is defensible only because his “mind is on the peace treaty all the time” (Miller, 143). The silence about the war in the novel suggests a stance of “extreme pacifism,” which is defensible because of his autobiographical honesty about his radical individualism and the artistic intent to describe the beauty of keeping in touch with humanity in spite of eventual annihilation (Orwell, 1 ).
well as claiming that it was "explicitly pornographic" and "immoral." After months of controversy, the board ruled that the novel could be read
Ray Bradbury criticizes the censorship of the early 1950's by displaying these same themes in a futuristic dystopia novel called Fahrenheit 451. In the early 1950's Ray Bradbury writes this novel as an extended version of "The Fireman", a short story which first appears in Galaxy magazine. He tries to show the readers how terrible censorship and mindless conformity is by writing about this in his novel.
One of the key components of literature is the usage of elements, these elements of literature provides readers underlying themes that authors put into their story. Without these elements of literature, the author would have no way to convey their true messages into their works. In Zora Neale Hurston’s story “Sweat”, Hurston uses many elements of literature to convey the seriousness and true relationship of couples that have a history of domestic violence. However, a specific element of literature that Hurston uses are symbols which give readers a clearer understanding of domestic abuse and most importantly, the characteristics of the victim and perpetrator of an abusive relationship. The symbols that Hurston uses in her story are what fortifies her plot and characters in “Sweat”. The symbols that Hurston uses are necessary because it destroys the typical gender role stereotypes between men and women. This is necessary because there is such a difference between the portrayal of men and women, men often being superior to women. Hurston uses through her symbol to show some equality between men and women or at points women can also be superior against men.
"Coloured people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it. Someone's written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book” (Bradbury, pg. 43). What makes Bradbury’s point isn’t necessarily in his writing, but the actuality surrounding these controversial books and the truth behind their factual banning. (MORE ABOUT LITTLE BLACK SAMBO & UNCLE TOM’S
In Fahrenheit 451 the people chose to censor the information that was available to them. They refused to look into anything that would compromise the structure of society. Censorship created a society filled with emptiness (Montag refers to them as ghosts). The people did not live fulfilling lives because they did not question the information being given to them. This is not a foreign concept in today’s world. People cover up controversial opinions that go against the majority. Books do get banned as in Fahrenheit 451. Vonnegut Jr.’s letter brings attention to this topic and reveals the truth; people need exposure to different ideas to broaden their
These school boards and parents can claim that banning this classic will protect their children from these subjects and these thoughts, and that by doing so, they can create the world to be a perfect place with love and harmony. The religious can claim all the righteousness they want, that God made the civilized man and that without religion, we wouldn’t be where we are today. However, the true nature of these subjects isn’t in that they exist, but the fact that we simply just don’t want to think or admit that they exist within ourselves. We need to use this book as a textbook to life, or a sort of guiding hand that tells us we need to realize that without our civilizations and without our rules, the world would be a much ruthless place than it is today.
The novel, The Catcher In the Rye, should not be banned from inclusion in the literature courses taught at the high school level. Banning this novel contradicts an individual's inalienable rights as an United States citizen. It limits freedom of speech and as well as other forms of expression. Although controversial, profanity is not a reason to limit an individual's rights. America is founded on principles that are not fueled by exceptions. Profanity is not an exception to freedom of speech. The Catcher in the Rye should not be excluded from curriculums at the high school level.
Of all literary works regarding dystopian societies, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is perhaps one of the most bluntly shocking, insightful, and relatable of them. Set in a United States of the future, this novel contains a government that has banned books and a society that constantly watches television. However, Guy Montag, a fireman (one who burns books as opposed to actually putting out fires) discovers books and a spark of desire for knowledge is ignited within him. Unfortunately his boss, the belligerent Captain Beatty, catches on to his newfound thirst for literature. A man of great duplicity, Beatty sets up Montag to ultimately have his home destroyed and to be expulsed from the city. On the other hand, Beatty is a much rounder character than initially apparent. Beatty himself was once an ardent reader, and he even uses literature to his advantage against Montag. Moreover, Beatty is a critical character in Fahrenheit 451 because of his morbid cruelty, obscene hypocrisy, and overall regret for his life.