From the “Jungle Book” to “ Kill A Mockingbird”, many classical books as of recently are being called out for being problematic. While many critics argue for the removal of such stories, others support the learning aspects from these literature. The whole tension in the censorship debate comes from modern society wanting to dissociate from the past and become more inclusive versus the notion that we should simply embrace the past - warts and all - and not try to sanitize history. While both sides have valid points, when it comes to “Lord of the Flies”, I opt for the latter belief.
Throughout the book, Golding projected a lot of unwanted and racist opinions. These are some of the stuff he put:
Example 1) Chapter 4’s title: “Painted Faces and Long Hair”. It is PRETTY obvious that Golding associated savagery with the First Peoples and civilization with the Europeans. When the boys are “rational”, they are seen “marching approximately in step in two parallel lines and dressed [with] … shorts, shirts and different garments” (Golding, 21). That is how Golding perceived the Europeans to be - posh and organized. In contrast, when Jack and his friends start killing pigs, their faces are “smeared with clays” (82), disheveled and their clothes discarded. This is obviously a problem as the author represents violence with the First Peoples while the Europeans are portrayed as perfect and “logical”.
Example 2) There is also the whole concept with white superiority where everyone described as dark gets harassed. For instance, there is Roger who is described in chapter one having “black hair with fringes” and a “fiery blackness” in his eyes. In the story, Roger gets assaulted twice by all the boys when he imitates the pig they're about to kill. Similarly, the twins named Eric and Sam also get assaulted since they are illustrated as “dark boys” (chap 1). In comparison, “the fair boy” (chap 1) aka Ralph with blonde hair and blue eyes receives (in the beginning) love from his peers and eventually the triumph of survival.
Example 2) In chapter 11, or at least in the school’s copy, when Piggy yells at Jack and his group, he says: “Which is better - to be niggas like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?” In the original version, the word is replaced with “painted Indians”, but this just illustrates the extent of racism within the writing community in the 1900s (and even now) and how that excused a lot of the normalized behaviours of authors.
That being said, I am in no way supporting the racist and problematic actions of Golding and other fellow writers. Obviously these type of people need to be held accountable and educated; HOWEVER, I don’t think this story should be censored to cater the feelings of some readers. This book and other stories with problematic elements need to be read so that this travesty does not continue to be accepted as right. The more we hide the uglies, the more confused we get with what is acceptable and what is not. Instead of censoring literature, we should be approach these topics and acknowledge their existence and use it as an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions.It is time to live up to the constitution that says "ALL men (and women!) are created equal and deserve to be treated with respect”
!!DISCALIMER!!: While I am against censorship, in certain environments (aka elementary or maybe even highschools) there does need to be some precaution against certain type of literature. If a story is actively encouraging- for example- homophobia or indecent sexual activities, then there should be discussions before reading the book. Children/institutions can avoid certain stories until the individual has the proper mental capacity, but as a society, we shouldn’t resort to censorship.
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