Book War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book War - Essay Example The fact that her hair and shoulders were covered with frost, Ping concluded that she must have been there all night. This shows one of the effects the ban to reading had on young people. At first Ping thought that she was reading one of Mao’s books but later realizes that it was the story of Little Mermaid. He had wanted to read the book but only when he was able to read a book on his own, the revolution began and booked were termed as poisonous weed. The fact that the girl had disguised the book with a cover of Mao’s works shows how eager people were to read. She had felt the need to read the book but could not do that openly in fear of the government. This is one instance that shows how cruel the government’s decision was on those that really wanted to read. Ping and his neighbor decided to carry out a secret book exchange program. This emphasizes their determination to keep reading despite threats form the government. Ping later discovers a box of books that his mother had hidden. Whenever his mother discovered a book he was reading, she would order him to tear it and burn the pages. Then she would explain that it was for their safety with tears in her eyes. The author says that their hearts were turned into ashes. This can be taken to imply desperation and safe pity. All they could do was stick to the instructions from the government or risk their lives. In his last stanza, when the last of the books was burnt, he sat in the chicken coop. It was here that all the stories became alive in him as tears flowed freely. He then started telling stories to friends, siblings, and neighbors. These were stories he had read from the forbidden books and some that he had made up. From this experience, the author concludes that even if books are banned and burnt, hope and stories are still alive. The experience from this story emphasizes the importance of stories to people, even to children. Books carry stories that