Nowadays, you might hear the words “political correctness” get thrown around here and there. Normally, it’s used to address those who are either too offended or not offended enough. But more than that, it’s used to purposefully choose language that won’t exclude, marginalize, or insult minorities or any group that could easily be prejudiced and discriminated against. While political correctness does have its benefits, especially in a public setting, it can also be detrimental to someone, not just creatively, but also intellectually. This, unfortunately, is especially true for writers.

The term originated from a series of articles published in The New York Times. Many conservatives, such as Dinesh Dsouza, argued that the term was used to perpetuate the standard of self-victimization and multiculturalism. On the other hand, many liberals state that conservatives use it to downplay prejudice displayed toward minority groups. Political correctness has been used to accuse one side of being hateful and violent, to paint completely inaccurate portrayals of people, and, at times, even used to justify horrific actions.

This has led to many damaging controversies in the literary world. For instance, many writers are concerned with the banning of books from many school districts, including classic authors such as Mark Twain. Many readers and writers are concerned that the quality of literature would decrease, simply because of the new powers of censorship that political correctness had.

One of the more recent controversies involved a romance book called For Such a Time by Kate Breslin, which is about the romance between a Nazi officer and a Holocaust survivor. As you can imagine, many have swarmed over the book, delivering negative comments and one-starred reviews. One reviewer writes she was happy that the book didn’t sell quite well. Another attacked the author herself, calling her despicable. And even still, another reviewer says that the book shouldn't have won the Romance Writers of America's top award, stating that the book's concept alone should be enough to not consider it.

Many literary giants have taken to criticizing political correctness. Works such as Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner and the cartoon, South Park, sparked a discussion involving the use of political correctness. Anne Rice, among other public figures, has taken note of the internet mobs that have surfaced when a perceived work was deemed offensive enough. Lionel Shriver even states that political correctness is even degrading fiction, asking for other writers to take a stand against it.

While political correctness certainly has its uses in public speaking, it becomes a problem when it’s used to censor and demolish works that do give genuine meaning to the literary world. Censoring a work just because it might offend others isn’t necessarily a valid excuse, especially when the work reveals cruel truths about the world around us. There is value in telling a story the way it should be told. It doesn’t have to bend to satisfy another’s perceptions. If it did, then much of the classics we admire now may not even exist.