What’s this you say? Yet ANOTHER teacher revealed to have been reading banned or challenged books? Yes! This time, the culprit was Mr. DuBois who confessed to reading J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Series.
- J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy
It may seem unclear as to why the series was banned or challenged in the first place, I mean who doesn’t love wizards, elves, and adventure? Well, according to Mr. DuBois, people who held strong contemporary religious beliefs during the series’ publishing didn’t. When asked about his thoughts on why the series was banned or challenged, he said that maybe the strong fantasy aspect of the series was seen by these people as a threat to their beliefs.
But of course, being Mr. DuBois, he had a snappy comeback. He disagreed with the books’ challenging by stating that if an idea is threatening to their beliefs, maybe their beliefs aren’t as strong as they thought they were if some books about a couple of hobbits and a ring brings their ideas into question. What did I tell you? Snappy.
Mr. DuBois’ statements on the banning of books in general were no less noteworthy. When I asked him if he thought any books should be banned or challenged, his answer was a solid no. And I say solid because, you guessed it, he had some snappy comments to back his opinion up. He said that when someone or some group challenges a book or succeeds in banning one, that person is saying that they don’t want other people to think like that book. They are trying to control what goes on in other people’s heads, like North Korea. No seriously, Mr. DuBois cited the situation in North Korea which is completely and politically correct and not just an Internet meme. He said that when groups like a government put restrictions on what others are exposed to, it’s considered indoctrination and it actually succeeds in shaping the thoughts of people, and not always in a good way. It’s not just present in North Korea, but also in the history and probably the future of other nations: the Soviet Union and mid-20th century Germany to name a few biggies. His point was that restrictions on media, including books, can be used to manipulate public opinion which is a big no-no. And yes, no-no is a technical term.
But the snappiness didn’t stop there. Mr. DuBois went on even further to say that the kinds of books that seem to attract protest shouldn’t just be allowed, they should be encouraged, just under the right circumstances. He said that the value in these books are in their ability to prompt their readers to not just blindly accept the status quo or social norms, but to actually think about them. And if after such thinking their beliefs or opinions haven’t changed, then that’s fine, great even. The point is that they reached this conclusion on their own. The awesome thing about controversial books is that they prompt their readers to reevaluate their thoughts and opinions which could lead them to gain some new perspective on a certain issue.
Okay, last bout of snappiness now. Mr. DuBois also provided a hypothetical situation in which his hypothetical son wanted read the very non-hypothetical Mein Kampf written by the also non-hypothetical Adolf Hitler. Not a weird situation at all, right?
- Original Two Volume Set of Mein Kampf
Well, in this instance, Mr. DuBois said he would probably be a little stunned, but he wouldn’t stop his kid from reading Mein Kampf. Instead, he would have made sure that his hypothetical son understood the historical context in which the book was written and that the ideologies included within are not actually encouraged. In Mr. DuBois’ words, the more information the better! So we shouldn’t be restricting information from people, but giving them more information in order to help them form accurate and educated opinions.
Well, if you made it to the end of this blog post talking about Mr. DuBois, The Lord of the Rings, and Adolf Hitler, you have the right to feel accomplished. *Gives you hypothetical lollipop*. BUT, if you answer my question in the comments, you could get a non-hypothetical lollipop! Just tell me about one (or more) banned book you have read and if it changed how you think at all.
Happy reading, everyone! <3
What a wonderful and clever interview! I find it fascinating that Lord of the Rings was on the Banned & Challenged list because some people believe that J.R.R. Tolkein wrote the epic fantasy as a religious allegory. Tolkein & C.S. Lewis (author of the Chronicles of Narnia series) were great friends and I find it interesting that Narnia was not banned while Lord of the Rings was. It takes a great writer to include allusions to current and historical events. Great job!
Literature is the greatest form of self expression. I find that the greatest thoughts are expressed in written word rather than spoken. What human being would have the audacity to try and decide what opinions and knowledge an individual has access to? Governments ban books because they know that through knowledge comes power. The leaders of North Korea or in the previous Soviet Union fear the power of the individual. They know their citizens will have more power than any governmental system. Preventing an individual from knowing their power and worth is perhaps a greater crime than banning such wonderful irreplaceable books.
Great interview! I was especially interested in Mr. DuBois’ viewpoint on how we should view controversial books, and how he related that view to other historical situations. I completely agree with his statement that banned or controversial books can help us to become even more knowledgeable about the world, and that banning people from reading certain books is restricting people from valuable information. Overall great job!
Wow awesome interview! I have Mr. Dubois for MUN this year and I do agree that he can be very witty and clever! Despite my dad having read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy multiple times (as he constantly reminds me), I have only read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. However it is very surprising to me that this trilogy was challenged because of the creatures that it contained! I have to agree with Mr. Dubois that those who felt that this series challenged their beliefs shouldn’t have let a trilogy of books get in their way. Great job!
I cant believe that Lord of the Rings was on a banned books list. its understandable that it would be a little contested for content but i would never think that it would be banned. I’m glad it was removed. It is such a wonderful trilogy and it doesn’t hurt anyone to either read it or ignore it! Great review!!
Lord of the rings is one my all time favorite books and movies, this interview had great insight and i loved hearing Mr. Dubois perspective on it! I completely agree with how controversial books prompts readers to reevaluate their opinions and can gain more insight on a certain issue!
I love this interview! Mr. DuBois brings up many good points. Books can seem, on the surface, purely fantasy, but can have underlying controversial topics. If a book about something like hobbits and rings can challenge someone’s beliefs, though, then they clearly aren’t too sure about those beliefs. Banning books is a way over-controlling action, and it is a sad fact that so many great books have been put on banned lists. I love that this topic is being brought to light. Literature is a great way to express different viewpoints and topics.
I very much agree with the main points in this interview and what Mr. DuBois brings up about how those who disagreed with the Lord of the Rings trilogy when it was published faith must have been shaky if such simple book could have halted them from reading it. There is a very good perspective presented here about how seemingly controversial books should be brought into society without disrupting the nature of it. All books should be free to be read by anyone.