Introduction
Today, the proliferation of social media and the relative freedom of speech contribute to the creation of highly controversial art addressing issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social equality. The work under analysis belongs to the field of literature as a discipline within the humanities – it is the book “George” (subsequently renamed “Melissa”), written by Alex Gino in 2020 (Alex Gino, 2021). It tells the story of George, seen by others as a boy, who nevertheless knows she is a girl. The book’s social contribution is determined by the author’s attempts to draw readers’ attention to the issue of gender self-identification and to how transgender people are perceived by society.
Book Review
On the one hand, this middle-grade novel may be viewed as an excellent example of entertainment literature; however, on the other hand, its aesthetic value is explained by the artist’s efforts to penetrate their character’s inner world and explore the issue of an emotional response to inequality and injustice (Bachard, 2022). In particular, Gino focuses on the emotions and feelings of people forced to hide their identity and face daily misunderstanding and rejection (Alex Gino, 2021).
Therefore, it has considerable potential to reflect the human condition fully. For instance, it is understood and accepted by transgender people and other individuals with socially intolerable characteristics as the heroine’s struggles are familiar to them (Bachard, 2022). While I cannot share the character’s feelings from a personal perspective, I can say that this book conveys a powerful message about the importance of celebrating people’s differences.
This message is effectively conveyed through the description of how George, the main character, passionately seeks to express his identity, rejected by society, by playing a girl in a school play. As a result, the public reaction to this book was controversial. It goes without saying that multiple individuals wholeheartedly accept this work as the representation of their voices for society. However, for others, glorifying tolerance and equity is unacceptable – as a result, “George” may be regarded as the most-banned book in recent years in the United States (Yorio, 2021).
According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, multiple activists and state school systems are against including it in library lists and programs (Yorio, 2021). I believe that censorship may be justified by governments’ efforts to protect their citizens from works that convey the ideas of hate, violence, racism, and discrimination. Therefore, in the case of “George,” the ban is inappropriate as it limits people’s freedom of speech.
Conclusion
All in all, Alex Gino’s work may be regarded as an outstanding piece of art with a powerful message, and the general public’s reaction to it demonstrates people’s unpreparedness to respect others’ right to self-expression. This book should be considered art – first of all, it is crafted, as the author intends to put their ideas, perceptions, opinions, emotions, and attitudes into words through skilled structuring (Jacobus, 2023). At the same time, this book is a work of art, reflecting the current situation from social and cultural perspectives and, unlike art-like works that focus on visual representation rather than subject matter, possessing a powerful meaning that may impact others’ lives.
References
Alex Gino. (2021). Melissa’s story and Sharpie activism. Alex Gino.
Bachard, E. (2022). I read “GEORGE,” the most-banned book in America in 2020. Here’s what I found. Medium.
Jacobus, L. (2023). Humanities through the arts (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Yorio, K. (2021). “George” tops most challenged list for third year in a row: “Stamped” takes no. 2 spot. School Library Journal.