Banned Books

Since we are discussing/writing about literature, this week's topic is about banned books. Should we attempt to protect our children from "adult" subjects, or should we allow children the intellectual freedom to read whatever they choose?

 Wow what a topic to write a blog on this week! I am mother of four children and I am a firm believer in protecting the innocent as long as possible. There is no need in giving them information that they don’t need at such an early age. I am very strict on what my children watch and read as well as who they can be around. People, books, and movies are a big influence in children these days. I believe there is a certain time in a person life that they mature and actually become ready for this type of material. My children are all under the age of 11 and they never watch anything over PG13 and the movies or shows that are rated PG13 have to be screened by me. I just don’t want my children to learn about "adult" things from somewhere else other than mom or dad. We can explain things in a way that the kids will understand, while books and movies are more for a general audience that isn’t age specific. However, they do learn a lot from kids at school who don’t have parents that follow the same route as us. When they do hear things, our children always come to us and that’s when we sit down and explain in detail. These details are still geared toward their age.

  

                                                          Literary Analysis      

I plan to write my Literary analysis on the story by Ernest Hemmingway called “The short happy life of Francis Macomber.” This was a very interesting story to me. I liked all the stories except “The Yellow Wallpaper.” That one was so boring to me and I could hardly keep up with the information. So the question I am choosing to use is number 7 in our assignment. In Ernest Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," does Margot intentionally murder Francis? Does it matter? My husband read this story in this very same class and while I was reading it, he sat next to me. I kept looking over at him about to ask him questions and I think I even asked one or two. He would not respond except to tell me to keep reading. When I was finished reading it, I immediately looked at him and said “She shot that man on purpose!” My husband responded “did she, or didn’t she?” So ever since then I have wondered about that story. We have even referenced this story a few times since I read it.  In my eyes, she did kill him on purpose and I think my husband believes that as well. I am not absolutely certain this is what I plan to write this assignment on, but I probably will since I already understand it a little better now.

The Hemmingway hero code is a little weird to me. I believe Hero’s come in all forms and fashions. Just because a writer has a style of writing or a so called type of person they always write about, doesn’t mean they should be portrayed as that kind of person in their own life. Hemmingway may just like to write with this kind of code in mind, doesn’t necessarily mean he lives by them. I, as a female don’t agree with some of the laws of the code. For instance, the law that says never show emotion, that would be something hard for anyone person to go through life without doing. Even heroes, people of all types show emotion at some point in time in their life. This doesn’t make you any less of a person; it makes you look like you have a heart and soul. Also the one that states never allow commitment to a single woman! That is absurd! I believe you should have a commitment to a single woman and a single woman only. Who wants to go through life never being able to trust that one person you love and them not be able to commit to you? That is a great feeling to know you are the one person whom they devote their heart to.  However I do agree with some of the code. The part that talks about keeping your word is something I like. I believe anyone who tells you something should stick to it and keep their word. No one likes to be lied to.