Gus, Sorry if I was imprecise in what I was saying. Of course, literature has been used throughout history to "effect social change". I guess it's just that the word "relevant" sets my teeth on edge when it is applied to art. The question, of course, is: relevant to what? Usually, it is to some sort of ideology that is fashionable at the time, and the criterion of relevance consigns the "irrelevant" stuff to the trash heap... or a bonfire. Dr. Frye went so far as to call the word "neo-nazi" when used to evaluate literature, or art in general for that matter. I know nobody on this list meant the word in that way, so I apologize for the flame. But perhaps my reaction is understandable, given the ongoing efforts to get the book banned? Regards, Leslie Kinton Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Ontario.