Joining the Banned Wagon

After looking into the why's behind past bannings of "A Wrinkle in Time" it is interesting to see that the reasons include promoting witchcraft, crystal balls, and demons, the addition of Jesus' name to a list of challengers to the Black Thing (in association with artists and philosophers), and for generally undermining religious beliefs. Though there are certain situations that do not adhere to religious norms, such as the presence of the "The Happy Medium" who uses her clairvoyance and crystal ball to aid the children on their journey, it is strange that specific incidences and examples within the text are taking precedence over the overall message and theme of the text, which is one of overcoming death and evil with love. The Christian faith adheres to spreading a doctrine of love and being in communion with others and standing up against evil and corruption. L'Engle seems to promote a similar concept in her text, however she does so by invoking supernatural and science fiction elements which do not generally coincide with the norms of Christianity or other popular faiths.

At one point L' Engle is quoted as having said then when you ban a book "What you ban is not going to hurt anybody, usually. But the act of banning is (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2012/02/10/november-17-2000-madeleine-lengle-extended-interview/10284/). The act of banning is being characterized as harmful because it attempts to limit the amount of information available to the public which is detrimental to the public good. By critics harping on certain characteristics of the text, such as the presence of a psychic, the witchlike qualities of Mrs. Whatsit, Which, and Who and somewhat supernatural abilities present in some of the characters, they ignore the important overall message which is the importance and strength behind the bond of family and the ability to use love and compassion to overcome evil. Children lose the opportunity to better learn this message through the text by schools choosing to ban the books in the classroom, however the message itself still remains and can still be available. Though the attempted banning of the book shows how much of an impact it can have, the constant threat of close mindedness is having a degrading effect on younger generations ability to learn and grow in an open environment.