I remember reading this book in eighth grade, not for a school requirement, but because my brother-in-law owned this and Of Mice and Men. He assured my mother that it was okay for me to read. At the time I only sort of understood, on a philosophical level, what I was reading. Without my knowledge, this book shaped the way I saw poverty and people. It, along with many others, (such as Les Miserable and No Promises in the Wind) gave me a perspective on why people might do things that seemed so completely illogical to my black and white world. I only read it the one time, never being required throughout high school or college to read it again. (Sad, right?) But when Linda asked me to pick a book that was banned at one point, I was surprised to find this on a banned books list. Since I had not read it in so long, I went to work!
Why it was banned: Originally it was banned because the California Farmers Association found it libelous in its depiction of their camps. Then it was touted as socialist/ communist propaganda. But the few wealthy left in this country at the time could not stamp it out! It went on to win the Pulitzer in 1940 and is listed as one of the best books in the English language. There have been attempts over the years to ban the book because of its vulgar depictions. (Getting my high school and college education in the South, I suspect this contributed more to why it was never on our reading lists!)
I won't deny that the book could be labeled as vulgar. There are several deaths, a couple of murders, a woman breast feeding a man to keep him from starving and a healthy amount of language. As I child, I did not remember the details of those aspects of the book. As an adult it was a slap in the face! It will be a time before I will allow my children to read it, but I think that everyone should read this book! Sadly, the world is an ugly place and ugly things happen. Turning a blind eye to it, trying to ignore it,or sweep it under the rug will not solve these problems. Bringing these issues to light, examining them, and trying to understand why it is happening is the only true solution. Steinbeck did not write vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity. He wrote to show the world what was happening and make people address the issues. As our country once again declines, I feel more than ever that my children will need to read this book one day!
