Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Summary of banning books
Banned books research paper
Essay topic banned books
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Summary of banning books
What do books like Harry Potter, looking for Alaska, and The Hunger Games all have in common? These books have all been heavily challenged by the banned book committee. Children in schools face the problem that reading material is slowly becoming a list of what not to read. Parents fear the topics written in some books are things that children shouldn’t face at that moment. The world is slowly cutting out important pieces of literature to protect young people from seeing the brutality around them. Banning books should stop, because we are only harming the creativity that is born within a student when they read. Literature has been challenged since it has been written. There will always be someone that finds the text insulting. Even textbooks …show more content…
Stories such as Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Blubber by Judy Blume have been challenged or banned. These stories either feature racism, curse words, and topics of bullying causing parents to ban these books from their children. (Smiley, 54). The time era that some of these books were written in feature the history behind the text. The language, the descriptions, and the syntax are all ways that the story teaches the children about the past. Students need to read these harsh topics and words to learn the struggle that other people went through. Organizations such as the NAACP and other organizations challenge books that feature this discrimination, and parents fear that students are ready for these types of topics or words (Clark, “School Censorship”). Books will never get easier to read, but it is subjects like these that we learn how to better ourselves for the future. Students may be banned from these books, but it does not stop them from learning these things from other places. Teachers have many ideas on why banning books is stopping students from truly
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
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.
“Who gets to decide what I get to read in schools?” This question was brought up by Dr. Paul Olsen in a recent lecture. This question inspires many other questions revolving around the controversy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It makes one wonder if books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be included in high school curriculum even with all the controversy about them or are they better left alone. Should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taken off of school reading lists because of a single word when it has so much more to offer students? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be included in high school English curriculums because it is relevant to current issues, it starts important conversations about race
Every one hundred years dialects change and what is considered “politically correct”, or socially acceptable, changes. “David Bradley argues that ‘if we'd eradicated the problem of racism in our society, Huckleberry Finn would be the easiest book in the world to teach’” (Zwick, Jim. “Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned?”). If we, as a nation, make it a point to rule out all books that could possibly offend students, then every hundred years or so our library of American Literature will be completely different. Even today, modern day authors use vulgar language, lurid sexual content, and racial slurs to get their point across. If The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is taken off of required reading lists across the country, then that could create a never-ending cycle of books being taken off of school shelves every time words and ideas become unacceptable. If this is the way that American society is turning then something must be done, and the Superintendents, Deans, and Principals of every High School around the country must take it upon themselves to do it because the students will not.
Imagine a world of uniformity. All people look the same, act the same, and love the same things. There are no original thoughts and no opposing viewpoints. This sort of world is not far from reality. Uniformity in modern day society is caused by the banning of books. The novel "Fahrenheit 451" illustrates a future in which the banning of books has risen to the extent that no books are allowed. The novel follows the social and moral implications of an over censored society. Even though the plot may seem far-fetched, themes from this book are still relevant today. Although some people believe that banning a book is necessary to defend their religion, the negative effects caused by censorship and the redaction of individual thought are reasons why books such as "Fahrenheit 451" should not be banned.
...etter than ignorance. Book censorship should not limit the amount of knowledge a child can receive, instead, books should be used to benefit children in their education and future career.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a novel that is read by many students in high school classes all across America every year. However, when you have a book that popular among schools, you will start to gain some controversy over it. There has been a recurring debate over the topic of banning this novel from being read in schools due to its 'offensive racial epithets' and other reasons, like poking fun at religion and challenging authority. I disagree with those who say the novel should be banned, and believe that schools should continue to read it and disregard those who say otherwise.
Although this book uses offensive words, it is such an important part of this time period. Some adults may not want their kids reading these stories in school because they can repeat the words and use them offensively. People could also feel that this book isn’t appropriate because it was written so long ago and uses old-fashioned phrases that don't teach students proper English. People will always have their own opinions.
“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.
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...
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.
“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. The children are the real losers because they are the ones that are not able to read the classic works of literature which are the backbone of classroom discussions all across the United States.
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
Although students should read novels that they are mature enough to understand and comprehend, Lohmiller explains that by allowing all middle school students access to read novels with profanity and Christian derogatory, it is not certain that all students are mature enough to not have their daily language influenced by it. While children should read material that they are mature enough to comprehend, censoring material in schools because of language and Christian derogatory does not take away student exposure to any of the censored issues, but instead takes away student exposure to a learning environment that would teach meaning and context. The use of "hell" and "damn" and other Christian derogatory in novels is necessary in furthering the storyline and depicting a realistic illustration of the environment. It is necessary to expose children to the evils in novels because "[a]n uneducated world is a miserable world full of fighting and conflict...A world without books is a dystopian world" (Censoring the Pages of Knowledge 1). This explains that student exposure to profanity and Christian derogatory in schools would allow the youth to be educated on the evils and be the gateway for conversations that the students would benefit from later in life. Banning controversial novels for the evils within will create ignorance in the youth of America today, as they will not be educated on the usage in novels, but of the evils through other means that are not explained and understood by youth. By teaching and allowing students to struggle with profane language and controversial topics in schools, it is ensured that students will be educated on the meaning and reasons behind usage. For example, Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that satirizes and challenges censorship in modern society by depicting the effects of that censorship on a future society where all books are burned. By the use of profanity and Christian derogatory as a means of critiquing the society,
There has recently been a renewed interest and passion in the issue of censorship. In the realm of the censorship of books in schools alone, several hundred cases have surfaced each year for nearly the past decade. Controversies over which books to include in the high school English curriculum present a clash of values between teachers, school systems, and parents over what is appropriate for and meaningful to students. It is important to strike a balance between English that is meaningful to students by relating to their lives and representing diversity and satisfying worries about the appropriateness of what is read. This burden often falls on teachers. The purpose of this research paper is to discuss censorship in schools and to argue that the censorship of books in the high school English curriculum is limiting and takes away literature that is meaningful to students.