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the effect of censorship on teachers
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the effect of censorship on teachers
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, 1884. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, 1951. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, 1936. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925 (www.bannedbooksweek.org). All of the books mentioned in the last sentences were books that “shaped America,” and were in some way or another banned or expurgated by taking all of the explicit words, and content, out of them. In doing so, the people who made the decisions to ban the books, or otherwise take out the content, greatly decreased the viewpoints that the author was trying to conceive. I believe that, unless the reading is for children under the age of, say, 13, then books like the aforementioned ones above, should not be banned or censored at all. Sometimes you have a rare case, like mine, where kids skip a few grades, and are really ahead of their class, and still a little immature, but if they are in a certain grade, they should be allowed to read, and understand what the author was originally trying to portray before the “people who think they know best” go and censor the author’s initial intent. Some of the best literature, also happens to be some of the most controversial pieces. The books mentioned above, some were banned because of language, other because of racism and sexuality, but all of them were important pieces about life lessons people should read about. I believe that books like these actually enhance our learning abilities, and not daunt them. I believe that it should not be up to the government, or the FCC, to control what citizens do or do not read in school systems. They have taken away enough by taking The Bible out of schools, it is a right our founding fathers gave to us when this country was first established, t... ... middle of paper ... ...tioned books, plus many, many more that have been banned or changed, should be brought back, as long as the parents of the children to be reading these items agree to allow it, so that they can get a full effect of how the reader was trying to portray his, or the actor’s emotions, in the book. There should also be an age in school that they start letting children read these things, because obviously it is not going to be appropriate for a fourth grader to start reading someone that is saying a curse word every other word, or one that focuses on negative things like racism, because that information could be detrimental to the overall learning capabilities of the kids. Finally, some of the literature that was banned years ago, are being reinstated into schools, because of people like me that have the same opinion that I do, and will stand up and fight for our rights.
The Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Even though books may influence young minds with negative thinking, society shouldn’t ban books because it prohibits learning and it violates the First Amendment in the Constitution. Banning books takes away the author’s right, some books can be very educational, and it takes away the children’s choice of what they get to read.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowlings, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hossenini, what do these books have in common? They are books on the American Library Association’s list of top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009. For various reasons, these books were found unsuitable for public audiences, and an attempt was made to ban them. From profanity to sexual content to homosexuality, groups have found reasons to challenge the books. Banning books that some people deem inappropriate from high school libraries underrates youthful intelligence, clouds history and dilutes our culture to fit a mold of conformity. Schools, even religiously affiliated ones, should focus on education and actually encouraging their students to read rather than inhibiting them from using their
The act of banning something is an aggressive measure. However, this being said whether to ban Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has long been debated. While some say that the book is offensive and disrespectful, others claim it to be a valuable learning lesson. Because of its beneficial lessons, its way of shocking the reader, its reputation as being one of the best novels in american history along with other controversial books being allowed in high schools, The Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn should be read by every High School across the country.
To delve into a topic as serious as book censorship, one must first determine the purpose of reading, of literature in general. Blahblahblah (what Ms Buckingham said). Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has sparked much controversy since its publication in 1884 due to countless racial slurs and stereotypes; in fact it is the most commonly banned book in American history (source). While many argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be banned, the literary merit, namely the realistic setting and characterization, outweighs the vulgarity and crude language. Twain’s satirical social commentary provides a moral exploration of racism and a vignette-style plot of contrast between the shore and the land and between Huck Finn and his partner-in-crime, Tom Sawyer.
Huckleberry Finn should not be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. If you find the book offensive, don't read it or buy it. There are countless amounts of offensive books that people find no interest in, however that does not mean we change them or rewrite them.
With the thought that someone can be hurt by reading a book, people will try to challenge and ban them. To ban a book is to have it restricted from a certain age or audience. Banning and challenging books is trying to keep a certain book away from an audience due to sexual content, going against religious beliefs, language and vulgarity, violence, drugs, self-harm, racism, occult/satanic views, promoting gangs, and going against community standards. An argument from someone who believes books should not be banned is that it is important for the age group to learn about certain content and material as they grow up. Due to controversial content, the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald should be banned.
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
“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”(1) This is a quote from author Mark Twain in response to the banning of his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from public libraries. Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of the most controversial books in the United States since its first publication in the 1880s. Many people disagree with the language and themes of this book, and bemoan the teaching of it in public high schools. Others argue that Mark Twain’s narrative is an important work of American literature and students that are mature enough for these topics should be exposed to it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain should not be banned from public high school curriculums because it teaches students about Southern culture in the 19th century, introduces students to information for learning and discussion, and brings up social issues that need to be addressed in today’s society.
For many years schools have banned books from being taught to their students because of parent complaints. These books have been shunned from the criteria, which may or may not affect the student’s understanding on a specific subject. People have been fighting to have these books banned because of excessive use of profanity, violence, sex, drugs and many other reasons. They do not look further in the books to see exactly what the author is trying to portray. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is banned in various places in the United States. This book should not be banned because, this book shows an important part in our history, it is not pro-racism, and it shows how far along we have come since then.
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...
People should be allowed to read whatever they want to read, even if it is a touchy subject to someone else. Although some people mainly believe in the banning of books due to explicit content, it actually causes a negative effect on people and children. Not only does it take away the people’s first amendment rights, but it also shelters children from real life situations that might affect their future. Banning books is unconstitutional and shelters children.
In a book titled Banned in the U.S.A. by Herbert N. Foerstel, is a list of the top 50 most banned books in the 1990s. Among these books are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Grapes of Wrath. If I am not mistaken these are all books known to be American classics, books that everyone should read. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was on my list of books I was required to read, and I would recommend the book to anyone who hasn’t read it. One of the main issues surrounding this book is that many parents feel it promotes racism. Well, the book was written during the period of slavery, but that hardly means it is telling kids to be racist. How is reading this book any different than sitting in history class learning about the slave trade? Not to mention in the novel, Huck befriends a black slave and they go on their adventure together. How is that se...
Rather than just prohibiting their own children from reading the books, protestors try to have the books outlawed making it impossible for everyone, both children and adults, to enjoy. Books should not be censored; in fact censorship should not even exist in America today. Based on the excuses for banning the Potter series, many more popular American classics which follow the same antics as Harry Potter, such as the Star Wars Trilogy, surrounded with dark forces and supernatural powers, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which are filled with wizards, goblins, trolls, and other demonic creatures, should be censored as well. As long as the proper ratings and reviews are in place, books, movies, and other media sources should be left to the viewers' discretion.
Books that have shaped America are slowly starting to disappear. Many of the previous social norms have fallen out of fashion, and because of this reason numerous books are beginning to become banned. Blasphemy, racism, sex, and violence are all ethical reasons for books to be censored.
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.