This
case is a little different to the previous two cases I have discussed in my
blogs as it is not part of the United States Civil Rights Movement. However, it
does play a huge part in society. The case of Regina v. Penguin Books Limited
was over a very controversial book titled ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’. The book
had actually first been published in Italy in 1928 but, it was not until 1960
when Penguin Books published it. This story involved many sex scenes and rude
words. It was about the relationship between a working class man and an upper
class woman. However, it was different to anything else at the time because of
the explicit details when it came to the physical side of the relationship. The
rude words that were used were very uncommon in books at this time so it made
many feel uncomfortable.
There
had been obscenity laws established to protect literature and enforce the law
on pornography. However, this case concluded that Penguin Books Limited were
not in the wrong for publishing the book.
The reports
of the case are useful when looking at the controversy it involved. For
example, one interesting quote I have picked out is, "Would you approve of your young sons, young daughters -
because girls can read as well as boys - reading this book? Is it a book you
would have lying around your own house?” Also Penguin Books planned on selling
it at a price that women and people of the working class would be able to
afford too. This meant that all would be able to read this explicit book and
not just the privileged.
One of the other main debates over this case
appears to be whether the book benefits the reader at all. Also whether the
sexual scenes were a natural thing to discuss or not.
I thought it would be interesting to find some
examples of the explicit language used in Lady
Chatterley’s Lover’. One example is ‘he too had bared the front of his body
and she felt his naked flesh against her as he came into her’.[1]
This shows the explicit nature of the book and why it made some people
uncomfortable. However, the factor that pushed people over the edge with this
book was the fact that offensive swear words were being used. The fact that
Penguin Books won this case shows that this was perhaps the beginning of a more
relaxed era in literature with more freedom.
Even though there was much controversy over
this story, it became widely popular. Many think that since people made such a
fuss over this book, it actually made it more popular as people would have
wanted to see what the disagreement was about. There have been many films and
theatre productions of it, and it has even been on the radio. Still to this day
there are theatre performances being made of it.
Annabelle Billington
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