The Censorship Cycle
Speak Up! Essay Contest Winner
Jessica Byerly
University High School
Sigmund Freud once commented, "What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now they are content with burning my books." Our society seems to be rather indecisive. On the one hand, in a world full of children playing violent video games, watching reality TV, and thinking that life is a movie, we want to nurture a love of reading in children. However, at times, certain individuals seem to be their own worst enemy in attaining this goal. Censorship is nothing new. Book banning is nothing new. Book burning may sound a bit extreme, but it too has been around for hundreds of year's. Whether it was banning the other gospels that were unorthodox or the inappropriate sexuality of The Arabian Nights during the late-nineteenth century in the United States, certain works of literature have always been called into question. Perhaps some books are inappropriate for certain age groups, but should all everyone be forbidden to read a book that a minority finds offensive?
When one first thinks of book banning, they might think of book burning. That train of thought might lead to Nazi Germany, where thousands of books were destroyed in an inferno of anti-Semitism and hatred during the 1930s and 1940s. Heinrich Heine's quote: "Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings," is frighteningly accurate when one observes Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the Holocaust. People think that by destroying books, by destroying libraries, the "dangerous" ideas contained within will be destroyed in the flames. It seems relatively simple to torch anything that doesn't agree with your viewpoint. Particularly, your religious view point. Joan of Arc, who delivered France from the English, helping them triumph in the Hundred Years' War, was burned at the stake as a heretic for hearing the voice of God. In modern times, books are burned in the place of people. Copies of The Bible, The Quran, and any other books that might cite a religious viewpoint different from that of others' are fair game. For example, The Bible translated into a Jehovah's Witness version is a popular target, and in Singapore, it is illegal to translate The Bible into a native language.
Of course, possibly the most renowned burned series of books is the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Several adult Christian groups claim that Harry Potter promotes witchcraft, occult practices, and rebellious behavior among children. This is their justification for challenging, banning, and burning one of the most-beloved books of are day and age. Ironically, I actually read the Harry Potter books. The only thing that I learned from them was the value of friendship, bravery, and loyalty. I, like the vast majority of Harry Potter's fans, have never picked up a wand or tried to rebel against authority. Most of us are too busy reading an engaging series of books that have made even the children that hate books the most eager to read the next 1,000-page volume of Harry's life. It's rather amusing to think that a bunch of grown adults are afraid of some fantasy books about a boy with a broomstick. It's ironic how harmless the things that scare us the most really are.
However, Harry Potter is obviously not the only book that has been challenged, banned, or burned. Now, you might wonder what the difference between a book challenge and a book banning are. Well, it's pretty straight-forward. If an individual or a certain group objects to materials within a book, they may attempt to have it removed from a library, school reading list, etc. by submitting a written request. The top three reasons cited for challenging a book are because they are "sexually explicit," contain "offensive language," or are "unsuitable to age group." Luckily, students, teachers, and parents who object to censorship usually make the challenge unsuccessful. Only if the objectors succeed has the book been officially banned and removed from the book collection or list.
In 2005, the American Library Association narrowed their list down to the top ten most challenged books of the year. Among them were The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones, It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley, Forever by Judy Blume, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, and the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey.
Let's look at this list, shall we? The Catcher in the Rye is often required reading in high school. It's the story of a confused, lonely teenager named Holden Caulfield, trying to find his way through life, who fears the phonies that fate throws at him.. It is a highly acclaimed novel and beloved by millions. This book was deemed inappropriate for sexual content, unsuitability the age group, and language. Obviously teenagers never curse or think about sex. The Chocolate War and Forever are beautifully written novels that discuss the ups and downs of teen relationships and the angst associated with being a teen. Captain Underpants, a humorous series beloved by grade school children, was deemed too violent by protesters while It's Perfectly Normal, a book about sexuality, puberty, and growing up is the most challenged because it addresses sexuality. (Never would have known that from the topics it covers...)
I bought What My Mother Doesn't Know in Junior High and enjoyed its unique, verse-like structure. My little sister, who despises reading, frequently purloins it from my bookshelf, eating up the story of a girl she can relate to. But who wants to encourage teenagers to read? Not the people banning these interesting, thought-provoking books.
Many of my favorite books have been challenged or banned in areas across the world. The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. These books allowed me to imagine time periods and societies far different from my own. They were filled with emotion and respect for human life. Each novel showed me a new perspective and excited me with its skillfully-woven plots. These books are award-winning classics of literature. I've read books like these my entire life. Unbelievably, I have not turned out to be a sexual deviant, a juvenile delinquent, or a witch.
I know that typically people challenge and ban books with the best intentions. They usually want to protect children from things that might be inappropriate or contain information they couldn't easily comprehend. And it's fine with me if objectors don't let their children read these works. I only ask that these people stop trying to remove books just because they don't find them suitable. The world is full of millions of people with different view points, ideas, and dreams. We all have different tastes, such as in books, which is what makes the world interesting. If we conform to what the minority finds objectionable, then how interesting could our society possibly be? If the objectors actually read some of these books with an open mind (which I doubt many of them have) and understand the passion-filled words of an author's soul, perhaps they'll think twice before depriving other people of these important books.
Luckily for us, the majority of challenges never result in the banning of books in our country. Around the world, many people are not as fortunate as us. Conservative religious groups and governments refuse to give their people the right to the joy these books bring. Some authors, like Salman Rushdie, are even forced into hiding because their books don't quite go with the flow. In spite of critics, high school students will keep reading Romeo and Juliet, and wondering if they will ever find such passionate love. Children will still crowd outside Borders and Barnes & Noble at midnight, anxious to get their paws on the last Harry Potter book. And people will still ask the question, "Where's Waldo?" (Yes, believe it or not, Where's Waldo? was the 88th most-challenged book of the last decade.) So next time you think of freedom, don't just think of the American flag and Independence Day. Think of your freedom, no, your right, to read what you want, when you want. It is a freedom that many of us take for granted, but as the American Library Association's positive message from Banned Books week is "Free People Read Freely."
