The banning of books on the grounds of obscenity was not an uncommon practice. Countless works of literature were banned for having mention of sexually explicit language or a sexual act, even though the work as a whole did not intend to serve this purpose. Disagreements arose from this premise and there was a lack of clarity as to what dictated obscenity and who decided what is suitable for the public to read. Other legal matters such as the rights protected under the First Amendment were questioned. When the writing of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl was brought to court, it changed the perception of obscenity in literature. Ginsberg’s first reciting of his poem Howl at the Six Gallery reading in San Francisco was met with praise and applause. …show more content…
Mark Schorer, an English professor at the University of California, was called to be a witness for the defense. During a cross-examination, McIntosh attacked the use of language in the poem, questioning the necessity of offensive words. Schorer stated that Ginsberg attempted to interpret his human experience through Howl, and the use of “offensive” words were necessary to effectively portray the author’s view (Rehlaender, 2015). Another witness, book editor Luther Nichols, confirmed Schorer’s statement about the relevance of the wording, stating Ginsberg is “employing the language that is actually in reality used” (Ferlinghetti, 1961). Schorer, Nichols, and the other witnesses provided a strong case for the defense by upholding their beliefs of Howl to possess literary merit and the overall contribution of obscene words to the work as a whole (Rehlaender, …show more content…
The first U.S. obscenity case involving a book was Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, by John Cleland. Charges were filed against the publisher, Peter Holmes, in 1749, on account of corrupting the youth. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Ulysses by James Joyce, and Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller were a few more works that were banned on account of obscenity (Morgan & Peters, 2006). The legal influence of the “Howl” trial was evident when many books were liberated from their sexually explicit charges. Had the verdict been decided another way, the public would have lost multiple other works of literature to sexual explicitness. More cases of obscenity would have ensued and countless books would have been confiscated. The result of the trial absolved future cases and works like Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure and Tropic of Cancer were unbanned and cleared of their charges. Tropic of Cancer had been recently brought to trial in 1953 after being banned in 1934, but the charges were not dropped until 1961, after the Howl trial. Thanks to the victory of Howl, a serious work of literature could no longer be bound by minor sexual implications if it possessed themes of social importance (Rehlaender, 2015). Previously banned literature found its place on the shelves of America once
In the article censorship: a personal view by Judy bulme she discusses and touches on censorship in literature in children and young adolescence books. Now in article there are a lot of possible exigencies listed threw out the article one of the main exigencies is that Judy bulme has personal experience with censorship as a little girl, with that personal account she has familiarity that compels and gives her credibility to write this article. With exigencie their also comes a purpose bulme’s purpose in the article is trying to convince parents that you should not coddle a young teen or an adolescent from literature that may not be suitable for them, but let their mind wonder and explain it after they read it. Also she communicates that censorship on books are not right because it’s unconstitutional violating the first amendment freedom of press. The audience she speaks to in article is the group of parents that are like middle age and older that have one track minds, and have to young teens and adolescent ages between 12-9 years old that are hesitant to let their children to read edgy books, teens who were her age and, have or experience the same thing she went thought as a kid, teachers and facility that believe in her cause that have lost their job over edgy books that were not age appropriate to their students. The context that you have to consider in the time of Judy bulme article is there is are a lot of issues going on the America culture that censorship of government felt need be. For inesxctie like the cold war was going on and nobody knew if another war was going to break out at any time. So any material that seemed edgy or conserverial it was going to be censored or restricted by the censors to the minors. Then th...
Banning and challenging books started to become recognized almost as a problem in 1982, when the largest number of books at the time had been challenged as not suitable or appropriate for an age group. Ever since then books are criticized for 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 example of a book that has been banned is The Catcher in The Rye by J. D. Salinger, since it has been banned from multiple libraries and schools for sexual and vulgar content (Santipr). Many people whose books have been challenged or banned have argued that the first amendment says something different. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
Allen Ginsberg was a Jewish American poet, who was born in June 3 1929, he’s poetry vigorously opposed such topics as militarism, economic materialism and sexual- repression. Ginsberg is best known for his epic poem "Howl", in which he denounced what he saw as the destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States.
Overall, what Ginsberg was trying to say is that we are ALL mad and crazy, but we are all also good. Ginsberg questions the human social actions throughout his journey with his friends, and wrote Howl to help others understand the social discrimination and chaos in the world. For me, I understand the reason behind the actions those bullies and their rumors have done to me, and that’s okay. It is a social truth, that society is unfair and cruel, also
Though attacked as obscene in Orem, Utah in 1973, the book does not meet the legal definition of obscenity. While it contains possibly offensive language and violent imagery, these are not all that make up the novel. It is a powerful social commentary; a warning against growing lazy and desiring a quick fix to the problems of society. To be legally defined as obscene, a work must be completely lacking in redeeming social value. However, A Clockwork Orange has both social and literary value. It is a shocking warning of what t...
Everyone is always happy in the ‘50’s. With the picket fence, perfect family, fresh cut grass, it is no wonder why everyone wished they lived in the ‘50’s. In Ginsberg’s poem, Howl, pages cut through the fantasy to deliver us the background of this media-portrayed lifestyle. The communism, failed education system, and corruption of the government – a century filled with enough injustice to drive one into madness. Sharing the same perspective as Ginsberg, Howl illustrates the corruption in education and government that remains indifferent to the present time.
Naked Lunch has been described by the author as "brutal, obscene, and disgusting." It was declared "obscene, indecent, and impure... and taken as a whole... predominantly prurient, hardcore pornography and utterly without redeeming social importance," when brought to trial in Boston in 1965. However, declaring William Burroughs' novel to be completely without redeeming social importance seems inaccurate. Naked Lunch paints a vivid portrait of addiction in all its horror, and of the steady degradation of the addicts around whom the novel centers.
Allen Ginsberg, a profound poet, is famous as the writer of the collection of poems in the book Howl. Academic scholars have noted the poem Howl is documentation as a man’s journey through a wasteland of isolation. To note, the title Howl is a metaphor representation of the cries or the struggle he implemented in this poem. In the poems, he uses poetic writing, his greatest asset, to put emphasis on his struggle in his life, the unfortunate events of his generations, and the pain he has encounter during his time at the psych ward.
Censored. Banned. Challenged. These three words have loomed large in the past decade. In 1999, the number of reported challenges against books declined to 472, down from 762 in 1995 (2). According to the American Library Association’s site on the most frequently challenged books of the decade, “topping the list is Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz, accused of “being too scary” and “unsuited to age group,” followed by Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite, accused of “promoting homosexuality as a normal lifestyle.” The rest of the 10 most frequently challenged books of the decade were I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (3), The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (4), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (5), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (6), Forever by Judy Blume (7), Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (8), Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman (9) and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (10).”
The 1956 Ginsberg got the attention of many for his renowned book “Howl and other poets”. Ginsberg's poem people have a take on either with or against it. The poem gave
The language an author chooses to comprise the work he or she is creating can provide a deep look into his or her thoughts. For example, the writing style present in George Orwell’s 1984 expresses, not only the writer’s fears following his observations of the Second World War, but also the negative experiences with authority figures he had as a child. Furthermore, language can be utilized to identify specific faults with society. For instance, The Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut identifies the danger of nuclear war, especially in a society whose leaders are not concerned for the common man. However, the use of language to relay certain messages or ideas is not limited to fictional literature. In particular, the rhetoric present in legal documents,
Raskin Jonah, American Scream: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and the Making of the Beat Generation Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004.
" In 1957 U.S. customs seized over 500 copies of Ginsberg's novel Howl on grounds of obscenity. These c... ... middle of paper ... ... ments. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Carl Sandburg has been captivating reader’s attention since his first published poem in 1920’s(Baym 763). Sandburg understood the powerful use that literary devices play in literary works. He was known for using these devices to connect with readers, and implementing deeper themes into his works. He is one of the most famous poets for using these techniques. Nina Baym wrote that “Sandburg believed that the people themselves, rather than a cadre of intellectuals acting on behalf of the people, would ultimately shape their own destiny”(763). He shaped his literary work so people of all demographics could relate, and embedded different unique perspectives with literary device for people who
Simpson, L.A.M., A revolution in Taste: Studies in Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell (London: Macmilan, 1978)