Here's a question to think about. Is it appropriate to swear in writing?
For anyone who knows me, you will know I am a fairly vanilla person as far as all that goes. So it makes me a little hesitant when I am writing for a much bolder and abrasive character. Of course they are going to swear in certain situations and use degrading words, but it always makes me a little nervous to put them in a situation where their personality would react in that way. It's not fair to them to switch a character's personality for my own comfort, but it does make me think a bit.
What made me think of this question is that I was writing a scene where a character is running from the police. She does not have a high opinion of them, so her dialogue is rather strong there. The outlet for this writing is a mature place, so no one will bat an eye at it, but the medium certainly seems to affect my characters. I feel like I have grown quite a bit in the depth of my writing in this more mature outlet because my peers are intelligent and amazing writers who have taught me a lot. While my opinion of them is very high, many of them do not hesitate to swear in their own works. However, I have never felt that it detracts from the quality of the piece.
It just makes me wonder about the social views on cursing. Adults generally consider it vulgar and offensive. Something that should not be done. But when it is called for in writing, should it not be as necessary as any other development of personality? Honestly, swearing is language like anything else. In fact, citing Lyndon B Johnson's ruling regarding vulgarity, he said it was sanctioned if it held some “redeeming social value.”
That seems like the best way to put it. Redeeming value. Swearing and other heavy language in media should be appropriate when it has a value. At least, that's my opinion. Food for thought I suppose.
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What sort of value? Isn't all cursing degrading, unpleasant, and vile?
ReplyDeleteWould you rather spend an hour with someone who cursed incessantly, or someone with more imagination in expressing their emotions?
I think outrageous profanity is disgusting regardless of whether it is in print or not.
I think it's judgmental to classify anything in language as without value. And there is a difference between the tactful use of obscenity (as much as that sounds like an oxymoron, I don't believe it is.) and the constant more or less pointless stream of curses. But my questions is, at least partially, do you think the integrity of a formed character should be sacrificed to avoid swearing in a book?
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with you. I see it as if it's in a piece of literature, then it holds some sort of importance, that it's there for a reason. I actually don't mind it at all if a character curses in a book I'm reading. It makes more real. I like that you wrote about this though! It's definitely something to think about!
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