Where is the fine, fine line between art and pornography? Does that line even exist in modern times as pride, acceptance, and liberalism become more and more prevalent, especially with the younger generations? Such limits were tested this month as many Duke University freshman refused to complete their summer reading lists by reading Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home.
Fun home is a graphic novel in both the literal sense and its content. Many Duke students have openly refused to read the novel, calling it pornographic and unnecessary. Fun Home tells the tale of a young woman and her relationship with her closeted father while she explores her homosexuality with various women. The coming of age story has recently been adapted into a Broadway musical, which won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical.
The media is a powerful force that allows students to openly express their views, however controversial they may be, to all the world. Through the media, Duke students have made it clear that they do not condone the reading of such an out-there novel. Many students took to the Duke University Class of 2019 page to post their complaints about the book. Freshman Brian Grasso said he would not read the book, "because of the graphic and visual depictions of sexuality. I feel as if I would have to compromise my personal Christian moral beliefs to read it." While some students opposed Grasso and others' opinionated comments, others supported him with private Facebook messages and public comments on the post. The freshman class seems to be split between those who appreciate the novel as a piece of literature and those who find it greatly offensive.
The bottom line is, you can’t please everyone. The Cat in the Hat could offend a hard-core member of PETA. Classic novels such as Jane Eyre don’t exactly represent strong feminist values because of their time of publication. John Green's The Fault in Our Stars doesn't showcase couples of varying sexualities and races. But those pieces unique qualities and singular representation do not make them less notable as pieces of literature. Universities do their best to provide students with a range of literary options in an ever-changing world. Duke officials did their job by adding a controversial, different piece of literature through Fun Home, whether the students like it or not.
