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When you hear the term “banned books,” titles like “American Psycho,” “Animal Farm” and “Brave New World” may first come to mind. However, even a quick Google search shows more than hundreds of books that have been banned because they didn’t align with the political ideologies of governments. For centuries, censorship was a normal part of society. Plays were submitted to a review commission, and if they agreed with the politics of the day, they were approved for public use.
Today, however, most books are challenged, not banned. So what’s the difference? And what’s the deal with banned books anywhere? ENTITY is here to break down what every book-lovin’ woman should know.
First off, the difference between challenging and banning. Challenging a book is an attempt to remove a book from a school or library, based upon the objections from a man, woman or group. On the other hand, banning a book is the physical removal of that book from a school or library.
The ALA compiled data from 1990-2009 which suggests that it is usually parents, schools and school libraries who flag books for review. According to TIME, books are challenged primarily because of sexually explicit material, offensive language, violence and unsuitability for the child’s age. After a book is challenged, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) decides whether or not those challenges have merit.
For the most part, books are challenged with the intent to protect children from information that may be difficult to understand, inappropriate or offensive. However, the American Library Association (ALA) argues that a parent should only restrict access to the books their children read, not the books that others might read. Writing for The Hub, Chelsea Condren said, “The power and danger in book banning lies in someone’s ability to think their opinion is the only one that matters, and, thereby, the only one that’s allowed.” In other words, book diversity leads to diversity of opinion and beliefs as well – a value that America is quite well known for.
Supreme Court Justice William J. Brenner Jr. said in the controversial 1989 flag-burning case, Texas v. Johnson, “If there is a bedrock principle underlying the first amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” Thus, Justice Brenner’s argument gets to the heart of banning books; the right to publish ideas is protected under the First Amendment.
To help combat the stigma against banned books, the Banned Books Week Coalition began to promote banned books to students and adults alike. The program launched in 1982 in response to the growing number of challenged books. In particular, it seeks to educate readers, promote advocacy and create educational programs about book censorship.
Not only that, but as the Banned Books Week website argues, many of these flagged books have “had a profound effect on American life.” Not only can books teach readers about other cultures, but they can also reveal truths about readers’ own worlds. Need an example? Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” has been frequently challenged because of its violence, sexual content and bestiality. However, The New York Times points out that “Beloved” won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and offers a vivid picture of a family’s dream of safety and freedom. “It appears to warp time before and after into a single unwavering line of fate,” writes Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times. A
So before you think about challenging a book, consider the words of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas: “Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.”
For a list of banned books that have challenged society’s way of thinking, read Ellena Kilgallon’s article titled, “13 Banned Books Every Woman Should Put on Her Shelf and in Her Mind.”
