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The negative effects of censorship
Adverse effect of censorship
The negative effects of censorship
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In schools around the nation, many books have been banned from the teaching curriculum. Some of them deserve to be banned due to the explicit content only suited for adults. Some books like the Harry Potter series, The Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Hunger Games. Granted, there are language issues in Catcher and Huckleberry Finn, but that language exists everywhere. The censorship should not be as strict as it is because many great books are being banned that students should be reading in order to gain an understanding on who some great writers were. Some of the banned books should be reconsidered on whether they should be censored or not. First of all, what exactly is censorship and what are some reasons to ban a book? The censorship of books deals with removing them from school or local libraries because they contain things like vulgar language, sexual references, drug use, or extremely violent details. These are the same reasons a book can and will be banned from a library. Some of these bans take the meaning of the book too seriously or completely out of context. Why is censorship so strict on what students read? The ban list can try to keep the vulgar language away from the students in school, but what about home? These kids could be surround by this language every day. This use of profanity has become too common that it has basically became normal to hear in public. This use of profane language is found a lot in The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in the Rye is a very famous novel, but the profane language forced the book to be placed on the banned book list. The story focuses on a boy named Holden. Holden had a very colorful vocabulary and was not ash... ... middle of paper ... ...sed on the age level of the reader. For example, if a book is banned due to language issues, it should only be banned from elementary schools and possibly middle schools, but it should only be allowed in high schools. If a book is banned for “witch-craft,” the book should be allowed in middle schools and high schools only. By determining where the book can be read and where the book should only be banned, this makes it possible for students to read classical works when they are age appropriate for them to read. Works Cited Baldassarro, R. Wolf. "Banned Books Awarness: The Giver by Lois Lowry." bannedbooks.world.edu. Deep Forest Productions, 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Hubbard, Ben. "Potter." Education Journal 60 (2002): 17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Print.
First, censorship bans certain books from school systems because of their language and numerous other attributes. Books have many different plots and conflicts throughout them. To me, books that have sex, vulgar language, murdering, rape, or any other adult situations should not be accessible in the school systems. A book that should be banned would be The Catcher and The Rye by J.D Salinger. This book has numerous adult language and sexual situations for a young child to read. The Catcher in The Rye is a remarkable book to read and has incredible meaning but is too vulgar for young children in the school system to read. A specific example would be on page nine of the book where it states, “I don’t give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age” (Salinger 9). I would not want my child exposed to that kind of language. I could not imagine my child asking me what the word “damn” or prostitute means, which is also stated in the book. Another two examples in the book would both come from page forty four where it states aggressive profanity. “You don’t ...
Salinger, J. D.. The Catcher in the Rye. [1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 19511945. Print.
Books have been banned/censored throughout history. For example, the Catholic Church created the Index of Banned Books in the 1500s. The goal of the Index was to prevent the general population from reading books that went contrary to the Church’s teachings. Some of Galileo’s books were in this list. Anyone caught reading or selling these books was severely punished, tortured, or even killed. 500 years later, however, book banning still occurs. There are hundreds of books being challenged every year in the United States, for various reasons. Many of these reasons are understandable, such as preventing mature content (eg. profanity, violence, obscenity) from reaching young people. However, other reasons are quite irrational. For example, the Harry Potter series was removed from some school libraries because parents believed it promoted witchcraft. A single, precise reason behind book banning, however, is unclear. Furthermore, many important American classics are being banned, often for minor reasons such as profanity. Why is it that we ban books that teach valuable lessons? Is it because censors are simply trying to protect children from inappropriate content? Or are governments trying to suppress unwanted ideas? Books should not be banned because book censorship is unnecessary, limits knowledge, and violates the fundamental principles of this country.
Censorship is becoming more and more common all over the world today. The online Encarta Encyclopedia defines censorship as, "supervision and control of the information and ideas that are circulated among the people within a society. In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of books...for the purpose of altering or suppressing parts thought to be objectionable or offensive." Henry Reichman from the Education World website defines it as, "the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials . . . on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of the standards applied by the censor" (Cromwell). Definitions aside, great literature is being banned by many people for a number of reasons and shouldn't be.
Noll, Elizabeth. "The Ripple Effect of Censorship: Silencing in the Classroom." Young Adult Lit: A Contemporary Reader. Ed. Dr. Jeffrey S. Copeland. Needham Heights, Mass.: Simon and Schuster Custom Publishing, 1997, p. 199-204.
All in all, Books should be made and not censored just for it's 'vulgarity' or 'socially obscenity' they should be written, manufactured, just like any regular book. Without them, important values and information could not be available for future
Throughout time and still today there are still people and communities who destroy and censor books or any other publications that might seem offensive or vulgar in any way. Censorship is any restriction or removal from the public of information or publications, or the prevention of free expression. In the past the world has always had issues with censorship and the restriction of releasing certain information or published articles within any age group or school district. It will not matter what year it is, or how old you are or what grade or the education you have, there will always be problems with censorship in schools.
...too, have the right to freely express themselves and receive information. Therefore, minors have the right to read any materials in which they desire. By banning The Catcher In the Rye, and novels of the like, the rights of U.S. citizens are restricted.
First off, books are banned every year due to inappropriate behaviors that parents don’t want their children to read. “Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information” (About Banned and Challenging Books 1). Here are the top three reasons why books are banned from public schools. “The materials” used in the books were “considered to be ‘sexually explicit’, contained ‘offensive language’, and was ‘unsuited to any age group’ (1). Parents wouldn’t want their kids reading stuff over sexually explicit and offensive language that are too young to read these kinds of books.
‘The Catcher in the Rye’ Analysis ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D. Salinger in 1951 is considered an American classic. It tells the relatable story of a teenager who comes to terms with himself and his mental complications. The narrator of the story, Holden Caulfield, begins this flashback styled book on the night before he left his former school, Pencey Prep, after being kicked out for inadequate grades. He leaves two days earlier than his supposed date of departure and Over the course of the book readers learn more and more about Holden and realize he is depressed, curious, deceitful, and judgmental. Clues as to what makes Holden the way he is are given sparingly and eventually J.D. Salinger did an effective job of creating a unique voice for his characters.
The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Why ban books in the first place; what is the purpose of taking literature out of the grasp of young people? Those who do challenge do so for a host of reasons. Parents, community members, and religious groups usually challenge books in an effort to protect the young people in the community from things that are contrary to their value system. They hope that by banning these pieces of literature they can protect their children, and community, from themes that are too mature or immoral. These pieces of challenged literature run the gamut of subject and objected content. Among the books banned in the last decade are I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou which was banned...
The form of censorship that is most debatable nowadays is whether books should be banned off shelves. Have you ever wondered why censorship is still to be found a huge part of the U.s literary culture? Or even the cause for textbooks to be banned or taken off shelves all the sudden? People are banning and checking the censorship of books and they are being removed and taken off shelves due to them being "offensive" , and its not only books, It is also music, movies, magazines, etc. Therefore, books should not be removed off shelves if they are found offensive. By virtue of what Katherine Paterson once said, "All of us can think of a book that we hope none of our children or any other children have taken off the shelf" Katherine states this
"If they ban books, they might as well lock us away from the world." (Rory Edwards, The ALA) While I understand that those who lobby to have books banned mean well, it is one thing to make that choice for your child, but is it really fair to force your choice on every child? I could understand requiring books to have a rating system much like we have for movies and video games today, but banning any book is denying freedom of speech from the author. An author writes to share a thought, a feeling, and a moment in time, not to have their book censored. According to The American Library Association," Censorship can be subtle, almost imperceptible, as well as blatant and overt, but, nonetheless, harmful." Have we become a society that dictates
When a library first gets a book, the media specialist reads it, and a few others do as well. The media specialist then decides if the book should be put on the shelf or not. The review committee look for different things like does the book contain curse words or is it sexually explicit or is it appropriate for a certain age group. If any of these things were met then they have a choice of putting out the book for the public to use. A review committee makes a valid decision to shelve the book, yet there are people, parents, government leaders, and church leaders who think that the book is unsuited for anybody to read (Whelan). Book banning was started around 450 B.C. (Whelan). Since then, people have been challenging books and have been able to ban them from American citizens who deserve the chance to read and to be exposed to others’ original and creative works. Because banning and challenging books violates American citizens’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech, school personnel, parents, and government leaders should respect the integrity of original works of literature and stay away from banning books.