"Education opens doors where none seem to be open."

Education opens doors where none seem to be opened. I agree with this statement. I say this because without education there is not really much one can do for a job. This world is a man eat man world. If someone wants to make a secured living they should get an education. For example, Mark lived in a slum; he felt that, that was where he was always going to live. He felt that when he grew up, he would live there too, nothing would change. Many people who live in such poor conditions feel the same way. This is because life is hard, and thus people do not feel they have any opportunities, because for starters they may be illiterate, and second they have not seen their parents moving out from the slums. It is such a sad mentality, because they never explore the options that they have. However, when he got an education his perspective changed. He decided that he would do anything to stay in school later on. He even works in order to make money to pay his school fees. He realised that his education could get him out of the slums. I believe that being able to have an education is such a blessing. I am forever grateful that I have one. I will never drop out of school so that I can make a better life for myself.

Censorship

I really liked the articles. It showed me just how passionate he is about his writhing. I agree with what said completely. In our society today determining what is accepted and what is not has a fine line. People would rather stare at a TV screen and watch inappropriate things, then read controversial issues in a book. What I mean by this is that a parent and his son have no problem watching Will and Grace with their children, but once Will and Grace is brought into a novel, they shut the ideas down completely. Mathabane’s life experiences, even through that short article were gruelling. He starved, his mother cooked blood for them for supper and he lived in a small shack. His father had to support nine children and he had no jobs sometimes. He was arrested for being unemployed. Their lives were not a bed of roses. It was hard and it was sad. It even came to the point where Mathabane tried to commit suicide at the age of 10. All these events are part of his life. Nothing has been fabricated, and nothing has been removed. So since he wrote the book this way, why should anyone else come and change his story. This is an act of censorship. Mathabane did not write this book with the aim of giving people pleasure during the sex scenes. It was not something he was proud of and decided to share with the world for enjoyment. It was something he had to face up to, and live with. It was something that he went through because of desperation and in order to survive. If one takes away what he has said in the novel, then they are taking away part of his “autobiography”. How is it meant to inspire children and teach them that there is hope if, horrific scenes are not read? Your life is yours, do not hide bits to please people, or else it is no longer your life; it becomes a stranger’s. If they cannot handle the book, then they should not read it at all.

            I feel that censorship should not be allowed. If one cannot handle the book, then one should not read it. If they feel that they will miss out on a lot if they do not read the book, then they should consult their parents and read it. Literature is not meant to be appealing for all. However, it is meant to move you. Novels are written by people either to tell their story, another person’s, or a fiction that is inspiring or telling reality. Others are fantasies, horrors, e.t.c. Each author had an intention and one should not take that away. If one cannot handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.