What is a book? A written work consisting of pages glued on or sewed together? It is much more complex than that, a book is a portal to the world of imagination, and of reality, in which we tend to use as some sort of a “gateway” object. Unfortunately, there are some influential books that aren’t really “public material,” so they took action for the rejection of these books. Now there are “legitimate” reasons for these rejections towards books, but none of them provide sufficient support for the cause of rejection. Most people, or organizations restrict these books due to the fact that they contain violence, use of profanity, fictional characters, or even because the character doesn’t listen to his/her parents. Of course, they’re afraid that
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” is what been told around and what most people still don’t do. How we decide how something is worth by just looking at it without getting to know someone or something even closer. John Steinbeck wrote a book in 1937 about two farm workers moving place to place trying to find their happiness. By going through things together and keeping each other’s hope by reminding one another about their motivation on even trying and ways how the farm workers, Lenny and George are more different than similar. Lenny and George are more different because of their maturity, their attitude towards Curley’s wife, and behavior.
The American Library Association, ALA, is an organization that, among other things, compiles a list every year of the most frequently challenged books. “The American Library Association actively defends the right of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment.” (ALA) Many times, the books on this list are challenged by parents with the want to protect their children from things they don’t believe to be appropriate. “Only parents have the right and responsibility to restrict the access of their children” (ALA) Even with these good intentions, by challenging a book, they are trying to challenge the authors’ thoughts and words, their First Amendment rights. These books usually contain complicated ideas, issues, and information that cause parents to not want them where their kids can read them. The novel My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult is a challenged book because of its homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit scenes, violence, and being unsuited to its age group; by all means this novel should not be challenged because, it’s use of offensive language is only used to intensify certain situations, and through all of the controversial issues it employs, it puts in perspective just how far someone would go for his/her family.
Books are banned for many reasons but more times than not it is because of the sensitive information found within the novel that agitates the reader. As long as people have been able to develop their own opinions, others have sought to prevent them from sharing. At some point in time, every idea has ultimately become objectionable to someone. The most frequently challenged and most visible targets of such objection are the very books found in classrooms and public libraries. These controversial novels teach lessons that sometimes can be very sensitive to some but there is much more to challenged books than a controversial topic. What lies within these pages is a wealth of knowledge, such as new perspectives for readers, twisting plots, and expressions that are found nowhere else. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird, contains references to rape, racial content, and profanity that have caused many to challenge the novel in the first place. The book was banned from countless
"Book Banning." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
As the American Library Association notes, books are usually banned "with the best intention…to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." (Brunner). If a book has frightening or controversial ideas in them, adults willing often censor that book from children. From 2000 to 2009, of the 5,099 challenges that were reported, 1,639 of these challenges were in school libraries and 30 challenges in academic libraries. (Frequently Challenged Books). At various times in American history, even some of the tamest books have been banned. Harriet the Spy, was banned because it supposedly taught children to "lie, spy, back-talk, and curse." Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was banned for being too depressing. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, was banned because it might encourage kids to break dishes so they won't have to dry them. (Frequently Challenged Books). While some of these excuses are more reasonable than other excuses, the banning of these books prevents the children from empathizing...
Many parents are against their kids reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, because it speaks about a young Angelou and her experiences with rape and racial discrimination. If a book contains racial slurs, like this one does, it is frowned upon by many parents of the community (Leigh). Another reason arguing for book banning are those who have strong religious views or believe that gay rights are wrong generally. These people have a problem with books that encourage the acceptance of homosexuality. But most commonly, books dealing with graphic sexual content are banned from the eyes of children, regardless of religious affiliation. These parents wish to protect the innocence of their young children by making the material unavailable to their children and their peers (Information Commons). Ernest Hemingway 's work of Farewell to Arms was banned by a variety of people: school officials, parents, even Adolf Hitler. To Hitler, this books speaks about World War 1, and threatened the Nazi ideology (Leigh). To the school officials, this book was too sexually profane to be available in their high schools. For every reason to not ban a book, there pops up with one in favor of it. Both sides offer their merits and values concerning book
In 2011, I watched a new television series. The new series aired on Showtime after a show called Dexter. The new series is known as Shameless. Shameless is based on the long running series, Shameless U.K. Shameless is the American take of the U.K. version. There is a lot cruder language, and nudity in the American version. The series focuses on the Gallagher family, and they live in Chicago, Illinois. The show refers to the Gallagher family living on the Southside, which is the “ghetto” of Illinois. Both Shameless U.S. and Shameless U.K. have similar character names and plots. In this paper, I will focus only on Shameless U.S.
People ban or challenge books because they don't want other to read them because of their content, even thought we see most of it in our everyday life. To stop book banning and to keep books on the shelves; if a book has inappropriate content and someone wants to buy it or get it from the library or store they have to get the parents consent. This will also keep parents informed on what their child is reading.
Banning Books “It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written, the books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers” (Blume 1999). Judy Blume can not explain the problem of book censorship any clearer.
Every year in the United States we have books being banned and challenged by many people who do not like the contents of books. When researching for this argument essay I found an article written by Rebecca Hagelin. Rebecca Hagelin is the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad and the vice president of communications and marketing at the Heritage Foundation (Lankford).
How did someone who disliked and even feared book end up receiving a PhD in English from Stanford? Well according to Gerald Graff, the PhD himself, it is all in the approach. In Graff’s essay “Disliking books” he talks about how as a child he did not enjoy books and felt a disconnect between what he read, and how it related to him. That is until, he read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and had begun having class discussions about the controversy at the end of the book. In this way Graff found a love of literature.
There are multiple reasons why a book can be banned or challenged. Book banning causes the removal of materials in schools and libraries due to “inappropriate” content. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, was banned due to sexual content and language.
Staff, Wire Reports. (2002 October 3). Book banning spans the globe. The Houston Chronicle, pp.C14. Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database.
There are many reasons why books get challenged and/or banned. According to Robert Doyle, the main reasons for banned are sex, profanity, and racism (Doyle, 3). The most common initiator of the challenge is a parent or group of parents (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from: patrons, board members, or organizations (Challenges by, chart 2). Challenges can also come from whole institutions; usually they come from schools (Challenges by, chart 3).
Censorship in School Libraries 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.