Books and writing are political

I’ve been thinking about the “Are books and reading political” -a discourse that has been happening the last few weeks and how it’s divided much of the community here. Is reading and writing political? Or it is something completely or at least partially void of politics.

Something I learned while studying comparative literature and creative writing at university is that there is always an underlying theme to a creative work. For example, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand talks about individualism versus collectivism. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a discussion on social class and social alienation. A major theme in Jane Austin’s book is the importance of environment and upbringing in developing young people’s character and morality. The same applies to more modern works like Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, An ember in the Ashes, A gentle tyranny, and many more.

Every work of fiction carries a message the author wanted to relay, some more apparent than others. Some might even be a subconscious addition by the author. From dark romance to fantasy and beyond, there is a message there. One of my favorite examples of this is the Juliette and Justine duology from the Marquis de Sade, published in the late 18th century. Heavy graphic scenes of sex, violence, and death are interwoven with scenes discussing a variety of philosophical topics, such as his view that the only human value is the egotistical pursuit of passions.

In the case of Ayn Rand, she and her works have been closely associated with the modern libertarian movement in the United States (although she viewed libertarianism as an anachronism). Jess Croban is closely associated with evangelical Christianism and her books can be viewed as a critique of modern feminism through a conservative lens.

To read is to be political. To write is to be political. Not everything will be palatable and according to your views, but to consume that is to expand your mind and learn. It’s important to reach beyond the echo chamber you naturally inhabit, to experience new things and themes, and test your boundaries. So while you might be just reading to relax, you can never truly escape politics in books.