Chapter Thirteen

Short-range emotional responses “I really enjoyed this.” “I burst out laughing.” “It revolted me.”

Long-range effects “I have always tried to live up to the line

in Hamlet, ‘To thine own self be true…’”

What about the consequences of the effects of literature? Does it shape our character and

therefore influence our behavior? If so, then the question remains, what of

the negative consequences?

Can we see a literary value in a work that offends us?

Should some works be censored?Should some kinds of literature be

prohibited because they offer the wrong kinds of pleasure?

The pen is mightier than the sword.Writers are witnesses.Poetry makes nothing happen.Literature is without proofs.Life is amorphous. Literature is

formal.

Think of a children’s story (even in film) that you know that, on reflection, may have been appropriate—perhaps damaging—to you or other children.

Think of the same story—or one like it—that seemed inappropriate or damaging that is in truth not damaging, but good for chidren.

Could one say that the censorship of some children’s reading matter or tv shows underrates their ability to think for themselves, and recognize the dangerous, obscene, or tawdry?

He says that allowing poets to say what they please about the gods is “inconsistent.” What might this mean? What is your considered opinion on the matter?

Should parents censor what children read, listen to, or view?

Should the community censor what adults read, listen to, or view? For instance, should adults be

discouraged from listening to rap, watching X-rated film, or telling ethnic jokes?

Should children be taught that some of our Founders were human, and flawed?

Should children be taught that our nation has ever acted wrongly in its international affairs?

If they should, what is the appropriate age for informing them, and how does one inform them so they are not “damaged?”

Should tax dollars support the arts? Do any social benefits come from

supporting the arts with government money?

Should government-supported art be ap0litical?

Is refusal of support a form of censorship? Who should decide the merits of an

artist’s application for government funds?