Censorship: When is it Harmful in Society?
Censorship is the act of suppressing unacceptable media such as books, movies, and
magazines in society. Sometimes it can help maintain peace in one’s world while other times, in
extreme cases, it can create chaos. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, he conjures up a story in
where censorship has completly destroyed a society’s way of life. The book teaches the reader
that if we do not be wary of the censorship that goes on in one’s society, then it will bring chaos
into one’s world.
In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury utilizes many examples and literary elements that
stirs up fear about the ideas of censorship. For example, Beatty explains to Montag, “Colored
people don't like Little
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Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Burn it. Someone's written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The
cigarette people are weeping? Bum the book. Serenity , Montag. Peace, Montag. Take your fight
outside. Better yet, into the incinerator. Funerals are unhappy and pagan? Eliminate them,
too. Five minutes after a person is dead he's on his way to the Big Flue, the Incinerators serviced
by helicopters all over the country. Ten minutes after a man's a speck of black dust. Let's not
quibble over individuals with memoriams. Forget them. Burn them all, burn everything. Fire is
bright and fire is clean." (59-60). The author’s use of vivid imagery helps the reader picture
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the horror and destruction of extreme censorship and it also helps the reader become alert to this
idea, the repetition helps fuel the anger and corruption of censorship. These words are appropiate
because these words help convince the reader that censorship is bad by implanting fear, this fear
persuades the reader of this idea by making the reader experiencing the horror of censorship in
the reader’s mind. Another example would be “ A great thunderstorm of sound gushed from the
walls. Music bombarded him at such an immense volume that his bones were almost shaken
f from their tendons; he felt his jaw vibrate,his eyes wobble in his head. He was a victim of concussion. When it was all over he felt like a man who had been thrown from a cliff, whirled in centrifuge and spat out over a waterfall that fell and fell into emptiness and emptiness and never- quite-touched-bottom-never-never-quite-no not quite-touched-bottom ... and you fell so fast you didn't touch the sides either ... never ... quite. . . touched . anything.” (45) The words the author help portray a false sense of security and emptiness using repetition to emphasize the importance of the brainwashing effects of the parlor walls. The author chose these particualr group of words because these words help sink in the idea of the when one is brainwashed by censorship, an outside force can take over control over one and one is unable to do anything to stop it. The horrors of censorship has destroyed the society in Fahrenheit and it is evident in the literary elements the author uses throughout the novel. Ray Bradbury has described the effect of censorship has on society in Fahrenheit 451. He has taught us how to prevent this from happening in society. The power of censorship does not lies in one’s society and its up to one to prevent the havoc it causes.
Judy blume use these Rhetorical Strategies in a virtuous way to guide her audience threw every thought process every emotion in the article , every thought that makes you think and reflect on what you just read and how it makes you feel and see society has what it really is. Blume article is really well write, she knows what say that is not to over the top to come off bitter and rude against the censors. blume is asking us to re think the way in which is when something is unknown and controversial to us, that we would shy away but instead, take it head on and embrace it immerse our self’s in it and explain it to our younger generation and educate them on the unknown to so can bark on their own quest and expand their minds.
Another example is how the government had set up an ideal citizen in society, such as Mildred, she would just stay happy, watch the parlor walls, and listen to the seashells. These simple everyday technologies distract the citizens, keeping them entertained and from knowing what is actually happening around the world not wanting to panic them. One way this relates to the real world is how on social media they would make one situation into a bigger deal than it is supposed to be lasting for weeks, such as with the dress some said it was black and blues and others said it was white and gold. They would even lie about certain topics such as capturing Montag when he ran away to know let everyone that the force has it under control, “A voice cried, ‘There's Montag ! The search is done!’ The innocent man stood bewildered, a cigarette burning in his hand.”(pg.69). These censorship had actually made people upset since they rely too much on technology and once away the people are lost and do not know what to do. One way of showing this was how Montag had turned off the parlor walls with Mildred, Mrs. Phelps, and
She starts her article by describing her first contact with censorship and continues to talk about her experiences as an author with writing her own books being barred. She takes account of her personal views on how to handle topics people feel should be forbidden from children. She also adds that books should open up conversation between parents and their children. Blume states that we should not let fear be a deciding factor on what is right or wrong but rather be informed and educated about the things we fear. She also said , if applied, censorship is a personal choice and government should not decide what is suitable and what is not suitable for everyone else’s children.
That is the way censorship is brought up in the book. Today, however, it affects more than just books. It is used in movies, TV, news, magazines, and the Internet. Words, obscenity, and some vulgar things can be kept from the viewing audience. They can keep certain people, those seventeen and younger from seeing movies, TV, or Internet sites. In the book one character makes a point of saying, “ignorance is fatal.”
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.
“Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it” were the famous words of Mark Twain. Since early times censorship has had a critical role in history. Many individuals do not understand the true meaning of censorship because they were either brought up to see it as something different or they misinterpret it from how history looks at it. It has been misconstrued by history to be seen as a negative but in reality it is meant to be positive.
United States Justice, Potter Stewart once said “Censorship reflects on a society’s confidence in itself” Ray Bradbury used this concept when building the story Fahrenheit 451. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury addresses the subject of censorship, suggesting that the major problem in society is self censorship. Ray Bradbury brings us one specific type of censorship, rather than censorship from ruling authority, he uses self censorship. This censorship is the cause of the many smaller problems in this society. In Fahrenheit 451 the citizens are censored from many things.
The author attempts to caution that people must accept the differences and ideas of people and embrace them, not use them as fuel and drive them further away. He is also trying to state that man does not consider the consequences of his actions before he acts. The burning of books provides an example of this. By burning books, the government is attempting to limit independent ideas so they can make people "happy." That way, people wouldn't have to be smarter or better looking. In theory, this would stop the competition between human beings and in effect, would make people more content with who they are. Many people accept this cause, and the government makes sure that all rebels are stopped in order to maintain their "perfect" society.
The people who question censorship and the use of censorship are known as the people who are against or anti-censorship. People who are anti-censorship believes that nothing should be hidden, and that everything should be open to the public. Gavin Mcinnes is a 45-year-old (2016) who is a writer, an actor, and comedian. Gavin Mcinnes had written an article which was taken down because it “has been reported by the community as hateful or abusive content” (Brown 1). The people who read Mcinnes article didn’t have to read or continue reading it when they became displeased with Mcinnes’s view. Those people did not have to read it if they did not like it. “The publication can choose what to publish… no matter how much outrage that content provokes”
“Submitting to censorship is to enter the seductive world of 'The Giver': the world where there are no bad words and no bad deeds. But it is also the world where choice has been taken away and reality distorted. And that is the most dangerous world of all.” -Lois Lowry, American children fiction writer. (The Giver is a social science fiction by Lowry)
Censorship is practiced by many people before the written word even reaches the eyes of the public. Once a book or newspaper article reaches the public it can also be censored by government agencies or the public itself. Censorship can also be beneficial to society at times. The clear and present danger clause makes it so that free speech can be limited if it causes danger to others.
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.
This article emphasizes the point that censors go too far when they attempt to not only ban a book for their own children but want to remove it altogether from a school library, so that other students cannot read it.
Ever wondered the reason behind racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, children committing crime or violence? The main reason is that censorship is not properly imposed or there is a need of censorship in the society. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain people, individual, groups or government officials find it objectionable, offensive or dangerous on others. There are varieties of other definitions but all have in common the concept of withholding information and/or resources from those who seek it. Hence censorship is essential in society to eliminate discrimination on basis of race and sex, protect children, maintain stability and restore what censor sees as lost moral values. Censorship occurs when expressive materials like books, magazines, movies, videos, music or work of art are restricted to particular audiences based on their age or other characteristics. (http://www.ala.org/oif/intellectualfreedeomandcensorship.html)
In the article, "You Can't Say That," the author Diane Ravitch talks about how certain words are deleted from books or not shown in films because they could offend certain groups. In the article, Ravitch argues that although it may seem like we live in a world where anything goes, the truth is, that's not true. Diane does research and gathers a list of more than five hundred words that regularly get deleted from textbooks and tests. Some of the words include cowboy, brotherhood, yacht, and primitive. Personally I believe that the censoring of words these days is somewhat extreme. I understand that certain groups could be offended by such words but why should everyone else not get the original words the author is trying to write because of that.