“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.” – George Washington
Profanity. It’s become an exclamation of surprise, excitement, anger, joy, and a general fill-all. You’ll hear it everywhere and in everything. Movies, art, books. There are no exceptions. Not many people share the viewpoint of George Washington anymore, and many would find his opinion prejudiced and discriminatory.
If you’re reading this article, then I’m guessing that you believe that swearing wrong. But is reading profanity wrong? I mean, you’re not the one saying the words. The awful teenager in the story who just blew up at his mom, or the dark villain who is torturing the hero just did. Why does it matter? Or more specifically, should it matter?
Before we begin, we need to define profanity. In an article answering the question of whether swearing would (or could) make a Christian culturally relevant, John Piper, a pastor, speaker, and author, lays out an interesting grid for classifying swear words. He says that the two categories are:
- Misused Important Realities
- Unseemly Language
Misused important realities are things like “Jesus Christ”, “God”, or “hell”. Shakespeare commonly would use “God’s blood” for his characters’ frequent ejaculations. “Misused important realities” are weighty topics that are treated as trite and flippant in times of anger, excitement, or distress.
Unseemly language is the dirty words of a culture, usually the sexually explicit swear words. Piper points out that unseemly language is what we have deemed as inappropriate and have morphed into swear words. These words change and shift as culture changes and values shift. Just read some of Shakespeare’s work and you’ll quickly find the unseemly language that was common in his time.
To immediately clarify, I will never recommend a book to children that has unseemly language in it. While I may recommend stories for older ages that have rare “misused important realities”, it will only be after careful and prayerful consideration of the topics listed below. Any profanity in a story will be listed at the bottom of the book recommendation, with an exact listing of the word and the amount of times it is used.
Imagine you are reading a new book when you are confronted with a truck load of profanity or even just one word. In this article, we’re going to be discussing that book and exploring whether any profanity in literature is healthy and wholesome. Like my article on violence, I will be laying out a list of considerations for you, as the reader, to evaluate a book. These are the exact questions that I use when judging any swearing I read. Let’s begin!
Consideration #1: Is the Profanity Essential to Add Dramatic Weight?
In The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery, the main character, Valancy, is in a doctor’s appointment when the doctor learns that his son was near-fatally injured in an accident. He gasps “My God” and rushes out of the room, completely forgetting everything else to get to his son.
The Blue Castle is a quiet, comedic romance. There isn’t much adventure or much drama. But L. M. Montgomery has specifically chosen this moment to show the tension and anxiety of this quiet, country doctor. In his moment of panic, he whispers a curse word as he flees to help his wounded child. This two-second whisper develops his character from simple country doctor to fearful, desperate father, and makes us realize the drama that is taking place amidst the quiet and peaceful setting.
Some may argue that profanity can quickly take a story from quiet and calm, to intense and desperate. It can cause immediate character development that wouldn’t have been seen otherwise. But it can also just be a filler word for a less-than-creative author.
In a story that contains swearing, is the language necessary to understand the character development the author was trying to show? Is it essential? Does it add dramatic weight?
Consideration #2: Does the Author Show Profanity as Wrong?
One of the biggest arguments for letting kids read profanity is because they will encounter it in real life. But as I have read and studied writing and editing, I’ve come to learn that it’s actually discouraged among writers for that very reason. Just because something’s “real” doesn’t mean it needs to be flaunted in your face. Just because something’s “true” doesn’t mean it necessarily needs to be printed. Chuck Black, an author I highly respect and whose writing I love, has never included profanity in his novels for children and young adults. His villains will swear, but he won’t write the swear word.
On the other hand, some might argue that certain profanities more clearly show the sinful nature of the villains. Profanity is a sin, yet so are many things included in novels that are intricately woven into the plot. Should murder, darkness, and destruction be removed because they are sinful?
Many would argue that every radical story uses sin and destruction to highlight goodness and beauty. They don’t shy away from the darkness. They confront it and defeat it.
Does the story make the sin seem appealing? Is the hero admired for his rebellion or vulgar nature? Does the author show profanity as something to be admired?
Consideration #3: Is the Profanity Used Sparingly or is it Frequent?
I was reading a historical fiction novel one time that promised high stakes, great characters, and a riveting ending. But halfway through the novel, I was sick of the constant overload of language. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Maybe it was historically accurate, but that didn’t mean that current readers needed to be constantly reading such profanity. Authors have the active choice to say “he or she swore” without repeatedly using repulsive language.
Recently, I read an article on whether writers should choose to include profanity in their writing. The point that struck me the hardest was the question: “Did Tolkien put profanity in Lord of the Rings?” The answer was no. And his story didn’t suffer for it.
Many books contain profanity, and some people might argue that the characters are made stronger because of it. But there are some authors like J. R. R. Tolkien who chose to leave out lots of swearing. And their stories aren’t bad or childish or even less dramatic than those that choose to fill their story with profanity.
Consideration #4: Is the Profanity a Forceful Look at Evil?
Think of some of the great classics and the violence and sin they show. A Tale of Two Cities has cartloads of people being murdered in the city streets. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has a witch overtaking the kingdom and murdering the King. Pride and Prejudice has a scandalous elopement.
Just like graphic violence or explicit sexual content, profanity can be forceful and in-your-face. But none of these three stories that I mentioned force the sin upon you. They tell you the truth, acknowledge the darkness, and end hopeful… without leaving your mind polluted from the darkness they show.
If a book contains swearing, is the author forcing profanity into your face? Is the profanity polluting your mind with its explicit nature? With so much great literature out there that doesn’t rely upon profanity to tell a story, is this one needed?
In Conclusion:
Many people will argue that profanity can add dramatic weight and paint a clearer image of the darkness the story is set in. But it can also pollute a reader’s mind, force you to stare too deeply into darkness, and make profanity seem common or even heroic.
As I mentioned before, I will never recommend a book to children with unseemly language in it. Sexually explicit words are highly inappropriate for a kid’s book, and, in my opinion, in most adult novels. If I ever choose to recommend a book with a “misused important reality”, it will only be after evaluating the book through these four criteria, and carefully listing the profanity below the recommendation with the reasons for why I think the swear word is appropriate in that story.
As you are evaluating each story for yourself, your kids, or just questioning whether to recommend a story, hopefully these four questions will help you evaluate adventures as you are confronted with them.