Why Is Flowers For Algernon Banned

To ban a book means to prohibit educational facilities from accessing or selling the book due to the inappropriate context or misleading moral values. A book can be banned or challenged by including explicit scenes, words, or context. People tend to ban books based off of their perception of what “dangerous thoughts” may occur within the work. (Brown) For example, the famous nursery rhyme, Mother Goose, has been banned in multiple locations because she “lives in a shoe with her brood.” (Brown) Flowers for Algernon was banned in Emporium, PA; Oberlin, OH; Glen Rose, AR; Glenrock, WY; and Plant City, FL due to sexually explicit passages and language. I do not agree that the novel should be banned or challenged based on these allegations.

Banning a book takes a person’s rights away that have already banned guaranteed by the First Amendment. Congress can not make any laws that interfere with an individual’s rights. The First Amendment “protects an individual’s

I thought the book was very well written and the controversial parts of the novel gave specific characteristics to Charlie Gordon. I also believe Daniel Keyes accomplished what he set out to achieve regarding the plot of the novel. He shows the difference of Charlie’s social life before and after his procedure. The explicit sex scenes show Charlie’s growth as a character. The novel, Flowers for Algernon, should not be currently banned in high schools or community libraries. High schoolers and people willing to read the graphic novel should be mature enough to handle sex scenes within a book. Also, the First Amendment allows freedom of speech, so Daniel Keyes has the right to talk about or include religious context in his book. The bible is not banned for talking about religion, so why should Flowers for Algernon be banned for the same context? I believe that banning or challenging a book is a way to shield the eyes of the world from the