For the TU Free Expression class this year, I want students to consider the freedom to read and the notion of banned books. It turns out than most books aren't "banned" at all. Instead, they are "challenged" for a variety of reasons. Not surprisingly, a lot of books are challenged because of sex, violence and language. Other books are challenged because they are offensive to various religious, racial or ethnic groups.
Whatever the case, there is a growing list of challenged books. The ALA reports that more than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982, including more than 400 in 2007 alone. The books challenged over the years include a number of literary classics such as Leaves of Grass, Madame Bovary, The Great Gatsby, 1984, Brave New World, The Diary of Ann Frank, The Color Purple and many, many more. More recently, many children's books have been challenged by parents who object to the ideas, themes or language in some children's literature. Many of these books are challenged because of their positive messages about homosexuality.
Questions: All of this raises a number of thorny questions. What does the freedom to read really mean in the U.S.? How does it apply to public libraries? How does it apply to public schools? If it doesn't apply to minors, at what age should minors be able to exercise their freedom to read? When does the freedom to read interfere with the parents' right to control what their children read? Should religious, racial or ethnic groups be highly offended by negative depictions in books?
In celebration of Banned Books Week, I am asking each student to find and read some portion of a banned book. Once they have studied the book, I want each student to respond to it in the "Comments" section of this blog. Address the following questions: What was so objectionable about the book? How did the author treat this material? Is there a justification for challenging the book for adults? For older children? For younger children? Why or why not?
Head to the library and find a banned book. Happy reading.
15 comments:
The book I chose has been one of the most frequently challenged on the ALA's banned books list. The Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling have caused a lot of debate as to their appropriateness of content, especially concerning younger readers. The most prominent objections to Harry Potter fall into three categories: they promote witchcraft, they set bad examples, and they are too dark. For example: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince reads "...the Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard's spell. It is not alive; it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding". One could say that the subject matter is too explicit for younger children. I don't believe however, that there is any justification to challenging these books for older children or adults. The author finds a great balance between violence and humor, reality and fantasy. In my opinion, these books play a major role in children choosing to read again. J.K.Rowling creates stories that teach children how to cope with pain, how to manage relationships and diversity and contrary to popular belief, how to uphold moral principles.
One of the most frequently challenged books according to ALA is “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger. Some of the top debated issues concerning this book include the use of profane language, demoralizing ideas and establishments, sexual themes, use of alcohol, and violence. In one instance, the main character Holden Caulfield proceeds with a prostitution deal when pimp in an elevator asks if he was “Innarested in a little tail t’night?” Although I believe the author was not trying to condone or promote prostitution, this can be seen as objectionable by some readers because of the sexual theme. Additionally, the reoccurring use of vulgar language throughout the novel was not favored by many concerned readers. Knowing that the main character is a teenager, J.D. Salinger was most likely just trying to depict a typical teenager’s attitudes and behaviors during adolescent years rather than insult a common reader. The problem with justifying challenges and banning books is determining where to draw the line. For this reason, I believe justifying challenged books amongst any age should not occur.
James Reed
The book I chose was Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It has been frequently challenged, most often for its sexual context. This novel is an autobiographical novel and recounts the sexual abuse Angelou was faced with in her childhood. While the context is sensitive and, obviously, not a topic for children, these are not reasons to ban the book. Not only are these events the reality of Angelou’s childhood, but Angelou should be able to write her novel however she chooses. Similar to Milton, who said if you regulate printing, you must regulate all activities, which of course is illogical; therefore if you ban one book, such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, you can essentially go on to find an inappropriate feature in every book and therefore ban all books.
Elizabeth Kubik
the book that i chose was "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. i know that we talked about the booki in class, but i had never heard of the book being banned for having scenes of racism in it. even though it has racism in it and does use the "n" word the story that i always saw was how huck was able to look past any part of racism and saw jim just like a person. many scholars of twain have argued that the book, by humanizing jim and exposing the fallacies of the racist assumptions of slavery, is an attack on racism . which if anyone has read the book they know that twain is not trying to make black people look bad. the reason for banning books has become very widespread and hard to say who is right and wrong some books i believe should be banned, but i dont think Huckleberry Finn should but someone else did and has banned it so its hard to say yes we should ban books as well as no we shouldnt.
Jon Bell
I also chose "The Catcher in the Rye" which is controversial in the sense that it depicts adolescent rebellion and refusal to accept the age hierarchy of society, Holden has a very dim view of those around him as largely unintelligent and unpolished even though he is the one constantly flunking out of school (although he flunks classes his "friends" ask him to write their compositions). In this sense, the book is about someone who is very intelligent but chooses to throw it all away and become an outcast. Salinger's message is certainly not this simple, but one can see why parents find these themes to be inappropriate if they are trying to teach their kids to operate within society and blend in. The author's main intention seems to be to point out the flaws of the society we live in where there exists the obsession with outward appearance and living by certain socially acecptable codes of behavior which require submission to elders and superiors in rank. However, it is clear that this life Holden leads is not exactly fulfilling for even himself considering the book ends with him missing the characters of Ackley and Stradlater whom he had been so harsh on. There are many reasons this book should not be banned. Number one it is wonderfully written and number two it contains many important themes about the society we live in today although it was written fifty years ago. Books are not intended to tell people how to live their lives and if properly taught in schools I believe it is obvious that this book does not encourage most of the behavior Holden engages in, but rather highlights problems in society from the viewpoint of a disaffected youth.
Patrick K.
The Banned book that I looked at was Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I have seen the movie and did not know that the book had been banned or was on the banned list. This book has been largely protested because of anti-Semitic undertones in the character of Fagin, a career criminal, and Dickens repeatedly refers to him as "the Jew." When I watched the movie, I do not remember Fagin being referred to the like this. This might be because it was TV and it was a long time ago when I watched the movie. I do not think that it is right by any means to refer this character Fagin in such a manner. If you look at the story the book is telling, it is actually telling a good story with good morals. But since Charles Dickens puts these undertones into this book it makes people want to ban it. I understand why they want to have it banned but because of freedom of speech I do not believe it should be banned.
Ade Manga
I chose Philip Pullman’s "The Golden Compass," about a young girl named Lyra from a slightly different universe who sets out to rescue a friend in danger but ends up waging war against the Magisterium, the equivalent of the Church in our terms, and uncovering all the secrets of the universe.
"The Golden Compass" was the fourth most criticized book of 2007 for its atheist overtones. Many religious groups are offended by Pullman's blatant attacks on organized religion. It is more explicit than Rowling’s simple disregard for faith in the "Harry Potter" series; the Magisterium is a purposeful, manipulative incarnation of corruption in Lyra’s world.
It’s reasonable to object to this novel on the grounds that Pullman is creating a purposefully offensive message. In other words, I can see where the objections might come from. I do not, however, stand by them. The book is a skilled work of fiction, and Pullman has a right to publish his opinions within the context of his own story. People could argue that he seeks to antagonize, but the book is ultimately what the reader makes of it. Children see it only as an entertaining fantasy story. Adults may see more objectionable material, but this is no reason to censor Pullman’s work. The simple fact is, if people don’t want to read this book because they find it offensive, they don’t have to pick it up.
M Kadin
I chose Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World." There are several themes and situations in the novel that have been used as justification for banning it. The first is the use of the fictional drug "soma," which characters in the novel take to neutralize all emotions. The second is its depiction of a society that allows blatant social stratification and, in some sense, actually encourages the idea that some social classes are better than others. The third is its blasphemous overtones towards religion: it mocks religion insofar as the religion in the novel is "Fordism," a joke played on the prominence of Henry Ford at the time of the novel's inception, 1932. Fourth, and probably most prominently, is the novel's fairly explicit sexual content--it depicts undressing, the human body, sexual situations, and even has an (unusual) orgy scene.
For anyone familiar with Brave New World, these all seem like silly criteria for banning the book, because Huxley takes an obviously satirical stance on his "utopian" society. He depicts the above themes in sarcastic ways to demonstrate his distaste for them in the real world. Thus, to use them as justification for banning the book would be, essentially, to prevent authors from constructing arguments through irony and sarcasm. This would undermine an enormously powerful literary device and would sell short the message of Brave New World and many other books.
Thus, I see no reason for banning the book for adults and older teenagers who are old enough to understand the satirical stance Huxley takes (I read the book my senior year of high school). I don't think younger audiences would even like the book because its message and style aren't adapted to them. Despite that fact, I don't feel like the novel's content is justification for banning it for any audience, including younger audiences. If a parent is so worried about the themes and situations in the novel, they can prevent their child from reading it. It is not the place of some organization to tell people what books they can or cannot read.
Soren Jordan
I chose the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. I was very familiar with this book because I had to read it as a sophmore in highschool. The book is challenged because of its foul language, racism, violence, and treatment towards a mentally handicapped character. It is obvious after reading the first couple pages of the book why it is on the ALA list of banned or challenged books. Some of the words just on the first couple pages include: "for God's sake, God damn, Jesus Christ, crazy bastard, hell" and the list of profane language could go on. In these first couple of pages there is also violence referenced (Lenny was accused of raping a girl and that is why they had to flee their last job, and Lenny has killed another mouse in his hands). In these first couple of pages, you also read how abusive George's language is towards his mentally handicapped friend Lenny. These are just a couple of examples of why the book has and is on the ALA list. I believe this book should only be read by mature audiences only (probably sophmores in highschool and above), because when the reader can get past the language, violence, and racism...the reader can appreciate the brilliant symbolism in the book.
The last comment was by Courtney Chadney
I have chosen to write about Charles Frazier's novel "Cold Mountain". According to several banned book lists, "Cold Mountain" is objectionable on political grounds for the way it sympathetically portrays desertion from armed forces. Violence, sexuality, and racial epithets can also be found in the book.
The story follows a Confederate soldier's long journey home after he was injured in a battle and became disenchanted with the prospect of fighting any longer. What could argued as means for banning this book comes from the conflict of individualism vs. The Group (or society). It can be widely assumed today that many people believe it is unpatriotic for one to have a change of heart in the midst of battle, or that picking up your things and leaving after you have witness utter destruction means that you are green and somehow less of a human being. Although these arguments may be politically accepted in various realms, they are in fact philosophically wrong. "Cold Mountain" simply attempts to point of the humanity that is still present during times of war.
One could argue that because of the violence, sexuality, etc, that the book should not be read by young children. I leave that decision up to parents. As for older children and adults, this book is a must read because of the philosophical, political, and social questions it evokes.
-BZ
Alice Walker the author of Color Purple got to know what racial and sexual discrimination is all about. Encouraged by her mother, an uncle, and her teacher, she went to university after she had finished school. She was inspired by Martin Luther King, whose face was the first black face she had ever seen on T.V, and joined the civil rights movement. She married a Jewish civil rights worker and moved to Mississippi. She now lives in San Francisco and is consulting editor to the ‘feminist monthly Ms’ and the black political quarterly ‘Freedomways.’ Alice Walker is a poet, novelist, critic, and essay writer. She writes about the discrimination of blacks and woman, about the limitations posed upon them by society, and about the conscious choice of the individual that is essential to being liberated. Alice Walker tells the story of Celie, a young black girl growing up in the South of the United States. In a series of letters to God and to her sister Nettie, Celie tells the story of her life, ranging from the trauma of sexual abuse as a child to her success and wealth as an adult. The themes presented in The Color Purple are very advanced, and the details of Celie's sexual assault are very vivid. The emotional and sexual abuse of Celie continues throughout most of her life, and Celie describes each moment in such a way that the reader feels like he or she is there watching.
Donald Gobert
The book i chose has appeared on the banned book list since 1974 and has appeared as high as number 4 on the most challenged list. The book i chose is "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier. The story is loosely based off of an incident that happened to his own son. But the basis of the Story is that the protagonist Jerry Renault as he challenges the schools cruel and brutal and ugly mob war. It has become a frequent target for the language and the concept that a secret society is located in schools to enforce social norms. The whole story comes to a head when a teacher trying to move up to Headmaster wants all the students to sell 2 boxes of candy instead of one and he asks the "Vigils," the mob students, to make sure this happens. The vigils tell Jerry the assignment but Jerry refuses and ends up getting into a all out brawl with one of the members of the mob, Emile. He is completly beaten by this bigger stronger child. These are a few of the reasons why "The Chocolate War" is a banned book.
Richard Why
Ashton Elder
“Howl” and Banned Book Week
Allen Ginsberg’s Poem Howl, published in 1956 in a collection of the same name, was a work that broke conventional barriers and reflected a breakthrough in the literary world at the time, the “beat” literature. The poem is a cry against the conformity of 1950s America. It pushed social boundaries, venturing into topics such as drugs, sex (both heterosexual and homosexual sex) and disillusionment. The poem could be seen as the universal cry of the non-conformists in America at the time. In 1957, 520 copies were seized by U.S. Customs officials. The publisher, another Beat poet named Lawrence Ferlinghetti was charged with obscenity. He wrote at the time, "It is not the poet but what he observes which is revealed as obscene. The great obscene wasters of Howl are the sad wastes of the mechanized world, lost among atom bombs and insane nationalisms."
The trial was ruled in favor of the defendant, and the book was claimed to have "redeeming social importance" by the judge. It is still thought provoking and eerily relevant today, and it has been one of my favorite works of poetry for years.
“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz ...”-Howl
The opening lines reveal both the taboo subjects the poem explored as well as the haunting language that captivates the reader. I find that the intention of the poem is to comment on society and conventions, so any inappropriate topics that one may discover in the poem are realistically society’s creation, and therefore social can not render them objectionable.
Jack London's The Call Of The Wild is one of the most commonly banned books of its time. The story is about a large dog who is plunged into the icy world of dog sledding in the Yukon territory. A previously pampered pooch goes on a journey back to his roots, and eventually becomes the alpha in a pack of wolves. Doesn't sound like anything to worry about, right? A story about a big doggy would seem like a childrens book. This is not the case. The story is much darker than one would think. It discusses the primal instincts innate in all of us (not just puppies). Scenes of violence are sprinkled through out the entire book, and are quite vivid. Descriptions of throats being torn, men being speared, and dogs being eaten alive are just a few examples. Aside from all the violence, the book is really an homage to the natural world, the world in the wild.
Jacob Niebergall
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