Some works of literature, such as Huckleberry Finn or The Catcher in the Rye, are banned in schools. By researching some of these books, it is possible to see why some argued to have these books banned from school. Many books have been banned from schools because of the content in them. We shouldn't allow censorship or book banning due to subject matter, language usage or violent situations due to the freedom to read.
Many books have been banned from schools. A few would be, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this book was banned because of the language used in the book, Catch-22, this book was also banned because of the language used in the book, The Catcher in the Rye, this book was banned because it was “unacceptable,” “obscene,” “negative,”
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filthy,” and “undermines mortality.”, and Fahrenheit 451, this book was banned because it goes against religious beliefs. Some say it was a good thing they got banned. They didn’t like the content in these books and thought they weren’t right for kids to read at such a young age. Some of the books went against the religion of others and they didn’t like kids reading that stuff. While others don’t like the idea of books being banned. They like kids being exposed to that type of things earlier on in their life. They like kids reading about different topics and what goes on in life sometimes. There are many reasons on why books have been banned.
A few are, Religious affiliations, these books have been banned or censored due to unpopular religious views, opinions in the content of the book, or for any religious views, in general, that might not coincide with the public view. Presence of witchcraft, books that include witchcraft or magic themes. Encouragement of damaging lifestyles, encourages lifestyle choices that are not normal or could be considered dangerous or damaging. This could include drugs, homosexuality, or co-habilitation without marriage. Racial issues, encouraging racism towards one or more groups of people. Political bias, most commonly occurs when books support or examine political parties or philosophies such as fascism, communism, or anarchism. Age appropriate, due to their content and the age level at which they are aimed these books have been banned or censored. In some cases, children's books have inappropriate themes or inappropriate content for the age level at which they are written for. Violence and negativity, books with content that include violence or negative language are often banned or censored. Some books, such as, Malleus Maleficarum or Coming of Age in Samoa, have also been deemed too negative or depressing and have been banned or censored as well. Many books with content that includes sexual situations or dialog are banned or censored …show more content…
also. There are many pros and cons of banning or censoring books. Some pros are, parents can control want their own children read, but they don’t have the right to restrict what books are available to other people or children in schools. Parents who don’t like specific books can take their kids out of an assignment without taking away the rights of others. Many challenged books actually help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it. One study found that reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which is challenged for religious concerns about witchcraft was found to improved attitudes about many different things. Some cons are, Schools with adult topics available limits parents’ choice to choose when their children are mature enough to read the specific material. Parents have the right to decide what books their children are exposed to and when they want them to read those books. The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure to violence in books can impact kids by making them act aggressively and desensitizing them to violence. “According to Jenni White, a former public school science teacher, “numerous studies on the use of graphic material by students indicate negative psychological effects,” including having “more casual sex partners and having sex at younger ages.” Children should not be exposed to drug use, sex, violence, or other inappropriate topics in school. (“Banned Books” 2012). Keeping books with inappropriate content out of schools protects kids, but doesn’t prevent authors from writing books with that content or it doesn’t prevent people from reading or buying these books either. --Censorship is very important in schools, it is there to keep the school a happy, healthy place.
To censor means to examine in order to delete anything considered objective. In many countries censorship is most often directed at political ideas or criticism of the government. In the united states censorship more often involves social issues, and in school its commonly directed at so called “controversial” materials. Advocates for censorship often target materials that discuss sexuality, religion, race, and ethnicity - whether directly or indirectly. Profanity appears in many worthwhile books, films, and other materials for the same reason many people use it in their everyday language - for emphasis or to convey emotion. Works containing profanity often contain realistic portrayals of how an individual might respond in a situation and some teachers intentionally select materials to remove the courage of cursing. What's so bad about getting rid of materials containing profanity? Many people don’t want their kids using that kind of language even if they do it themselves and many parents believe that seeing profanity in books or hearing others swear encourages youngsters to do the same, especially if the act goes unpunished. Based on personal views, some parents wish to eliminate material depicting violence, others objectives to references of sexuality, or others to racism. Teachers, principals, and school administrators make decisions all the time about which books and
materials to return, add, or exclude from the curriculum. They are not committing an act of censorship everytime they cross a book off a reading list, but if they decide to remove a book because of hostility to ideas it contains they could be. Administrators and faculty might agree to take discussion of evolution out of second grade curriculum because the students lack sufficient background to understand it and decide to introduce it in fourth grade instead. As long as they were not motivated by hostility to the idea of teaching about evolution, this would not ordinarily be deemed censorship. The choice to include the material in the fourth grade curriculum tends to demonstrate this was a pedagogical judgement, not an act of censorship. You are able to join your school in many ways to help the book banning. You could attend school board meetings, school board and other school decision-makers need to hear from students, parents, and community members who oppose censorship. Stay in touch with principals and board members, even when there are no censorship challenges, to let them know you care about your school. Look for outside voices, while the most effective arguments against censorship are made by local parents and students, in some cases it can be helpful to bring in outside experts. If the author of a challenged book is living, consider inviting them to join a discussion in your community or to send a statement to school leaders. Stay informed, If an activist group or a parent challenges a book in your community’s district or school, read the book and learn about its history and author. Then share what you found with fellow community members and the local media. A strong, well informed argument is always a more effective weapon against misinformation and prejudice. Run for office, If you don’t like the way your elected officials handle censorship challenges, consider becoming an elected official yourself. Run for school board or volunteer to serve on a school committee that handles challenges against books. Make some noise, consider holding a protest in favor of the challenged material. It sends a powerful message when the rest of the community speaks up for its values. Activists challenging books represents a small fraction of a community. There are more than 500 books being challenged for censorship annually, that's more than 10,000 cases since 1990. Often it's more popular children's and young adult books that are targeted. Most schools don’t take an active role in choosing what should be permitted, leaving that job to the private vendors who sell the web filters. Schools blocked “gay” websites because they had to do with “sexuality and porn”. In February a federal court ordered the school district to discontinue its filtering system as currently configured. There's a problem when schools won’t allow educators to make decisions and let technocrats do it instead.Schools were following the Protection Act, a 2001 law requiring schools to use filters to shield students from pornography and obscenity.
The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published in December of 1884. It was first banned in Concord, Massachusetts from the Concord Public Library in March of 1885. Since it was first published, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been opposed and banned. The book is powerful and provides an amazing window into what this country was like in the time period it takes place in, banning this book is not an ethical thing to do because readers learn and grow from it and people should know how the United States was in that time period so that we do not regress and move backwards as a society.
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.
Over the 129 years for which the book has been in print, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been regarded with much controversy, for many different reasons. As it has progressed, the subject of this controversy has been almost constantly changing. This essay will explore some of the claims and explanations of the controversy, as well as a discussion on whether the book is even that controversial. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion about this novel, The main complaints seem to revolve around three core topics: Twain’s portrayal of Jim and other blacks, The extensive use of the racial slurs and racism, and the final chapters of the book itself.
“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
First off, I would like to ask you if you think Huckleberry Finn should be banned from society? With that question in mind I would like to tell you why it should not. The Novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, according to an offended citizen, that the novel "should be removed from schools curriculum and expunged from public library shelves." This novel is already banned from all black schools and Christian schools for the profusely use of the "N" word and the insults of religion by Mark Twain. The "N" was used over 200 times throughout the course of the novel. Also, the actions of Huck and other negative characters in the novel does not help plead my case on why I disagree with this citizen. I disagree with this citizen and I think it should be allowed in schools curriculum and in libraries because it is a classic American novel and it shows how America has evolved as a nation. Huck Finn lies profusely in the novel, depicts African Americans negatively or using the "N" word, and his attitude is a negative influence on children today.
The decision to ban the novel Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries has been an ongoing controversy. The presence of the 'n word' and the treatment towards Jim, and other blacks in general, has made many readers uncomfortable. Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should 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.
Censorship, as defined in the dictionary, is, in the case of a book, to take out things thought to be objectionable. Censorship is far more than that. This mere word prohibits us from all things
Banning a book on the basis of profanity is merely a superficial reason of those who wish to limit beliefs that do not coincide with their own. By excluding a novel from a high school curriculum in order to shelter students from profanity, is an attempt to do the impossible. Profanity is found everywhere. According to TV Guide, "Profanity is uttered once every six minutes on American primetime television...
There is a difference between banned books and challenged books. According to the American Library Association (ALA), “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group (About banned, para. 2). A banned book is when a book or other reading material is removed from certain locations and not available. For example, one of the most challenged books in the 21st century is The Giver by Lois Lowry (100 Most). The novel, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sheman Alexie was banned in high school in Oregon because a parent complained that the book was offensive (Doyle, 3).
“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.
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.
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
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.
Censorship in Schools 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.