Read Banned Books: Kindred
Read Banned Books
Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts! Read Kindred.
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Read Banned Books: Kindred
I've been a fan of Octavia Butler since reading Parable of the Sower. While listening to NPR recently, I came across a story about renewed interest in Butler's writing. In fact, her works are more popular now than when she was alive. There is a good reason for this, at least in my humble opinion. Although her novels are science fiction, they possess a timeless quality, and the themes she wrestled with are just as pertinent today as when she put pen to paper.
The recent revival of interest in Butler's work got me thinking about one of my favorite novels by her, Kindred. I knew the tale had faced censorship, but I didn't realize it was most recently banned in 2019.
The story revolves around a modern black woman who is repeatedly sucked back through time to an era when slavery still existed in America. She suffers the horrifying reality of slaverly and comes face-to-face with her own slaveowning ancestors. It's a fascinating and harrowing yarn. It's timeless.
Reasons given for banning the book are the themes of slavery and racial violence. Both exist in this novel. The violence is graphic and hard to stomach at times. The cruelty of slavery is a constant reality. The violence often possesses a racial aspect. I suppose it's no surprise that book banners would come for Kindred. They probably think a story about slavery and racial violence will upset young readers. It should be upsetting! Education is not for the faint of heart! We should be distressed because that helps reminds us not to repeat the mistakes and atrocities of the past.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the effort to ban books with racial themes is spearheaded by a small and vocal minority, according to the ACLU. The effort aims to control what history is taught to the next generation and, indeed, rewrite history. In my estimation, this is more than an effort to protect young people from the traumas of the past that might make them uncomfortable or to use concealer to smooth over the blemishes and bruises of bygone days. It is an attempt to dissolve history, so that it is easier to perpetrate the wrongs of yesteryear in the modern day. Don't let the book banners rewrite history. Read banned books.
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