The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 2011. 295p. ISBN 0-674-05792-9. Available at FIC WIL on the library shelves.

A beautiful youth of 20, Dorian Gray sits for Basil Hallward, a famous painter of the time. Basil has kept him a secret from his good friend, Lord Henry Wotton. When the two meet, Dorian is immediately captivated by Lord Wotton’s philosophy that pleasures of all kind are the only reason one should live. Convinced by Lord Wotton that a youth’s beauty is all that matters, Dorian makes the wish that his painting would age instead of him, and, unbeknownst to him, his wish is granted.

Falling in love Sibyl with an actress, Dorian attempts to convince his friends that she is amazing, only to witness her poor performance during a play. She reveals to him that she loves him and sees no point in pretending through plays. More in love with the idea of her than the actual person, Dorian breaks off his engagement and castigates her. She commits suicide, and her brother, James Vane, vows to avenge her but doesn’t know Dorian’s name.

As Dorian comes of age, he falls further in corrupted experiences along with Lord Wotton, affecting the lives of many aristocratic youths as well as the youths of other social classes. His portray, meanwhile, begins to show the signs of aging and of the evil influences of his life, and soon Dorian cannot bear to look at it. Years later, Basil Hallward visits Dorian on his way to Paris, and confronts him about his wanton ways. Dorian, in a fit of rage, kills Basil and disposes of his body. That murder haunts him, however, and when he crosses path with James Vane, Dorian is shaken to the core and worried that it is time for him to provide an account of his life.

The violent death of James Vane during a hunting trip frees Dorian from the guilt he had, but he decides from now on he needs to lead an exemplary life, with the hope that the portrait will once again show him his beautiful self. When it doesn’t, Dorian decides to destroy the portrait, but a yell awakens his household and they find the portrait on the ground next to a disfigured and ugly old man who’s recognized as Dorian by his rings and clothes.

A tale of moral duplicity and corruption, The Picture of Dorian Gray remains controversial today for the themes it addresses and its (at the time) scandalous nature.

The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial

Goodchild, Peter. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial. 115 mins. ISBN 9781580815581. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In 1925, the state of Tennessee passed a law that criminalized the teaching of evolution. Fundamentalist and evangelical people applauded this decision to only use the teaching of the Bible in the science classroom, but others opposed this law. The ACLU actively looked for a science teacher willing to become a case test to support the First Amendment’s freedom of religion. John Thomas Scopes, a science teacher from the small town of Dayton, worked with the local school board and elected leaders to bring this case to court, so that Dayton would economically benefit from such a trial.

Legal heavyweights assembled on both sides, with William Jennings Bryant, a three-times presidential candidate and evangelical favorite for the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow, a famous New York defense lawyer, defended Scopes. Over the course of the trial, the evangelical position was undermined by arguments made in court by Bryant and Darrow. Though Scopes was eventually found guilty at the state level, the negative publicity that this court case had brought the state of Tennessee, coupled with errors by the trial judge allowed the Tennessee Supreme Court to overturn the case on a technicality and prevent the certain appeal the defendant wished to make in Federal Court. However,

This audiobook features a reenactment of the actual court case based on court transcripts, and reveal the depth of convictions on both sides. The debate surrounding the separation of Church and State continued for decades afterwards, and remain present to this day, with controversies surrounding “Intelligent design.”

1984

Orwell, George. 1984. 1983. 314p. ISBN 0-15-166038-7. Available at FIC ORW on the library shelves.

The Party and the government of Oceania are one. There is only one Party, and the Party provides for everyone. Big Brother is the face of the Party and of the State, and he encourages people to work hard to support the Party and Oceania against its enemies, Eastasia and Eurasia, both superpowers like Oceania. Winston Smith is a member of the Outer Party, the organization that supports the Party and implements its directives. As a worker in the Ministry of Truth, Winston’s job is to modify news report and articles so that they always match what the Party has said. Thus, if the Party predicted five years ago that the number of boots produced would be up by 5% but was down by 2%, it is Winston’s job to make sure that the newspaper reports from five years ago reflect the 2% decrease and not the 5% increase. This ensures that the Party is always right.

Winston is very dissatisfied with his life. Big Brother is spying on all of the population and the Thought Police is very active making sure everyone conforms to the Party’s ideals. When Winston meets Julia, he suddenly feels hope and love rekindled in his heart, and they begin secretly dating in a seedy part of town to escape Big Brother’s surveillance. As their relationship grows, so does their hate of the Party and of Big Brother. Encourage to join a seditious group, both of them forget that Big Brother is always watching. Caught and made to confront their worst fear by the Ministry of Love, can Winston and Julia’s love triumph over the totalitarian Party?

In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It

Belles, Nita. In Our Backyard: Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It. 2015. 240p. ISBN 9780801018572. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

When we hear the words human trafficking, we think of people in Africa, the Middle East or Asia being sold into slavery. But human trafficking is so much more pervasive than that. It is present everywhere, even in the United States, even in New Hampshire, maybe even in our small rural communities. Though we often think of human trafficking as boys, girls and women being enslaved for sexual purposes, we forget that it includes so much more, from individuals working in restaurants and homes to maids working in hotels as well as the more traditionally understood roles of slavery.

In this book, Nina Belles shares true human trafficking stories that took place in the United States, and explains that this is a crime that can strike anyone at any time, regardless of race, gender, nationality socioeconomic or educational status. It does not only affect those we consider the “others” such as runaways or individuals who feel powerless and disenfranchised from their families and their communities. Anyone can become a victim, and Belles provides several warning signs that explain how to spot human trafficking and how to avoid it. She also provides advice on how to fight back against human trafficking and she presents organizations that help fight this crime against people.

A real eye opener, this book raises awareness and increases social consciousness and should be read by all.