Acts of Defiance: The Bluest Eye, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Thousand Splendid Suns

Over the last couple of months, I have been part of a small local book club. Totally normal, right? Well, this book club has one small particularity…We only read banned books. Over the past two months, I have fallen in love with classics that I had read before. Let’s be honest, they went right over my head. But through deep reread and patient analysis from this wonderful group I have come to realize how much I really missed and how much I really loved them

I will begin at the beginning, back in December 2023, when I began looking for local book clubs to join and get out of my routine and hermit-like state in which I had been submerged since the start of the pandemic. It wasn’t till February that I found this club. It had just started in January, it’s first read was Fahrenheit-451. What were the chances? The read for February was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and that was more than enough to get me on board.

To Kill a Mockingbird

There comes a point in a writer’s life when writing becomes an act of defiance. When nothing makes sense, when the world is stifling you and trying to quiet your voice, writing become the pole that you hold on to to give life the finger.

Books such as these give us a taste of rebellion and make out of paper and ink the dreams of those of us just starting out: Transcendence, immortality, continuity. To know that the only thing left after our bodies return to the ashes from whence we came translates only to words and the things we put out into the world, that is what keeps most writers going. Well, that and the fact that they don’t know how to live without words.

I don’t think Harper Lee knew what she was doing when she was just sitting down to write Mockingbird.. The words were so potent, her scream so loud, that school districts had no choice but to shut her up. They challenged and banned the novel in multiple states. I belonged in the last cohort in my state to read it before it was banned.

Mockingbird is a book about the destruction of innocence and what is left after all is gone. It is a book about rebellion, about standing up for what you want and for what you believe. It is the epitome of a loud and clear scream. But try as you might to cage the lioness, she will find a way to roar. Toni Morrison is the living proof.

The Bluest Eye

In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison puts out a hauntingly beautiful exploration of race, identity, and the devastating effects of internalized racism. Set in 1940s Ohio, the novel follows Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl who yearns for blue eyes as a means to escape the ugliness she sees in herself and the world around her.

Morrison’s prose is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into the harsh realities of Pecola’s life and the community that both supports and oppresses her. Through vivid imagery and complex characters, Morrison delves deep into themes of beauty, belonging, and the destructive power of societal norms.

What makes The Bluest Eye truly remarkable is Morrison’s ability to challenge conventional notions of beauty and confront readers with uncomfortable truths about race and privilege. With its raw emotion and unflinching honesty, this novel leaves a lasting impact and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding in a world plagued by prejudice and inequality.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

And if we want to talk about prejudice and inequality, we need to talk about A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini’s work transports readers to war-torn Afghanistan, where the lives of two women, Mariam and Laila, become intertwined against the backdrop of political turmoil and social upheaval.

In “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” Hosseini masterfully weaves together the stories of these two women, exploring themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope in the face of unimaginable hardship. As Mariam and Laila navigate the oppressive patriarchy of Afghan society and the brutality of war, their bond deepens, offering them solace and strength in the darkest of times.

Similar to Morrison’s novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” confronts readers with the harsh realities of life for marginalized individuals, particularly women, in a society plagued by violence and injustice. Through Hosseini’s richly drawn characters and vivid storytelling, the novel sheds light on the enduring human spirit and the capacity for love and redemption, even in the most challenging circumstances.