Literary Censorship Inwards America: Challenged Vs. Banned Books

Did yous know...

Mr. Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (pub. 1885) was 1 time dismissed every bit "trash, suitable alone for the slums." It is ranked every bit the 4th most banned mass inward the United States, fifty-fifty though the mass is recognized every bit a "Great American Classic" together with sells 200K copies each year.

Or that... 

"The Diary of a Young Girl" (pub. 1947), a historically-important mass of diary entries yesteryear a 13-year former daughter named Anne Frank, who hid amongst her household unit of measurement for ii years (1942-1944) from beingness captured yesteryear Nazi soldiers inward her homeland of the Netherlands, was considered "too depressing" together with "too sexual," together with thus pulled from libraries together with curriculums. This is despite the fact the mass is published inward to a greater extent than than sixty languages together with has sold to a greater extent than than xxx 1 grand one thousand copies.

Or that... 

J.K. Rowling's famous Harry Potter mass serial has been challenged yesteryear numerous theological groups together with banned inward several countries due to complaints that the stories encourage witchery.

And...

In before centuries translating the Bible from Hebrew into English linguistic communication was at 1 fourth dimension an excommunicable offense.

Free Speech or Free Censorship?

Throughout history, philosophers, artists, novelists, together with poets select been pilloried together with their plant destroyed because someone else thought them offensive together with potentially harmful. Such mass banning is a method of censorship—it suppresses speech, writing, voice, together with sentiment that hypercritical people reckon offensive, salacious, or also controversial. Every twelvemonth books are challenged for a attain of positive or negative reasons, periodically leading to their permanent removal from world together with private schools, institutes of learning, together with world libraries.

Differences Between 'Challenged' together with 'Banned' Books

Materials are considered "challenged" when an individual, a group, or an entity attempts to describe them from Earth or confine access to them. Merely voicing an objection to a detail mass does non found a challenge; it commonly unfolds similar this:

1. One must file a formal written complaint, requesting that the schoolhouse or library removes or restricts the fabric due to its controversial content or inappropriateness. 
2. An appointed commission reviews the electrical load for justification, validity, together with virtuousness.
3. The commission holds a world or private hearing to create upward one's hear if the fabric warrants removal, restriction, or retainment. 
4. If the challenge is successful, the fabric is removed (i.e. at 1 time officially classified every bit banned) from the classroom or library. 

Not surprisingly, most challenges target juvenile literature together with classroom reading lists. Parents challenge books to a greater extent than than whatsoever other group, followed yesteryear library patrons together with schoolhouse administrators. Challenges are commonly well-intentioned, peculiarly inward cases concerning children. Parents together with schoolhouse officials believe they are protecting juveniles from "sensitive" or "offensive" ideas, opinions, viewpoints, together with data that they'd misunderstand or non procedure appropriately. Other challengers believe certainly ideas are morally corrupt, contextually misinterpreted, culturally inaccurate, or religiously unsafe to the community.

Why Do We Challenge Specific Books?

While unopen to of the reasons why materials are banned may hold upward quite inane—one edition of Little Red Riding Hood was banned because Riding Hood's handbasket contained a bottle of wine—most plant are challenged due to a combination of legitimate concerns. The take identify 10 green suspects inward mass controversies are:

1. Material considered anti-family.
2. Portrayal of drug together with alcohol use.
3. Nudity. Many anatomy textbooks select been banned for this reason.
4. Religious viewpoint.
5. Homosexuality.
6. Occult themes.
7. Mature themes considered inappropriate for a given historic catamenia group.
8. Violence.
9. Offensive language. This tin displace hold upward profanity or derogatory terminology.
10. Sexual explicitness.

Recently-Challenged Books

Every twelvemonth the American Library Association (ALA) gathers reports from libraries, schools, together with media to compile a listing of that year's most challenged titles. In 2012, the ALA received 464 reported challenges, an increase of 25 pct from the previous year.

Five of the most challenged books on the most recent listing are:

1. "The Adventures of Captain Underpants" together with its subsequent serial yesteryear Dav Pilkey, initially published inward September 1997. It has been cited for offensive linguistic communication together with historic catamenia inappropriateness.

2. "Fifty Shades of Grey" (published June 2011) yesteryear E.L. James. It is challenged because of offensive linguistic communication together with explicit sexual content.

3. "The Kite Runner" (published Apr 2004) yesteryear Khaled Hosseini. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 perennial book-club favorite, it has drawn objections for explicit sex, homosexual themes, offensive language, together with religious viewpoints.

4. "And Tango Makes Three" (published Apr 2005) yesteryear Justin Richardson together with Peter Parnell. This children's mass virtually a penguin household unit of measurement is on the listing due to historic catamenia inappropriateness together with perceived homosexual themes.

5. "Beloved" yesteryear Toni Morrison, originally published inward September 1987. Considered a modern classic, it is frequently cited for its violence, religious viewpoints, together with sexuality.

The Freedom to Read

The American Library Association (ALA) promotes the final calendar week inward September every bit Banned Books Week [website], an annual effect designed to telephone yell upward attending to challenged plant together with the dangers of censorship together with to encourage reading together with give-and-take of ideas. The national effect brings together librarians, booksellers, educators, together with readers to celebrate the liberty to read, and—to paraphrase French philosopher Voltaire—to "think for themselves together with allow others savour the privilege to create so, too." This year, Banned Books Week is September 22-28, 2013.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, or corrections. Please role the Comments cast below.

Sincerely,
Brian Scott

Share this post