Censorship
Often after reading an easy book, I’ll pass it on to my classroom library. Not so with Goldfinger.
In the novels, James Bond tends to view every race, gender, and sexual preference besides his own as wrong-headed and inferior — he conquers all. Oddjob, a Korean bodyguard with a cleft palate, is presented and referred to as an “ape” from the start of the novel to the end. I decided not to pass the book on to my students.
In a recent PD session, I found a copy of Naked Lunch on the shelf, which surprised me. Burroughs should have the right to publish his material, but I wouldn’t bring it into my classroom.
Many of the books that have been banned in the past are ridiculous (Ulysses, Huckleberry Finn, Harry Potter), but I am now beginning to censor too, which is disconcerting.
Assuming your students could comprehend it, would you put Naked Lunch in your classroom library?
