History Of Book Censorship
Book Censorship: Alive and Well Today
Books like The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Grapes of Wrath, have been considered to be some of the best American classics. These books also have another thing in common: They are frequently challenged and banned in the United States. Book banning and censorship have been around for thousands of years. Most early form of book censorship have been book burnings. Before the invention of the printing press, there were only a few copies of each book, so it was effective to burn a book and erase it from history. In modern times, book burning is not as effective, seeing as books are widely distributed, and there is no way to gather all copies of a book. Even though book burnings are still occasionally …show more content…
Everyone holds their own beliefs and ideas about what is right and how things should be. What may be considered right to one person, may be considered completely wrong to another person. No one person has the right to decide what is best for everybody. The author’s own ideologies are often expressed in books, and while people may not always agree with them, it is important not to restrict access to these books for people who many agree with them or want to learn about the specific point of view expressed in a certain book. The people in charge of banning books, such as school boards, try to decide what kids can and cannot handle without trusting the discretion of the youth they are trying to "protect". (Crutcher 1). Every child learns and progresses at different rates. To ban a book because it is unsuitable for one kid, could prevent another kid from getting the resources they need to learn and grow. What is right for one person is not what is right for everyone. It is unfair to make a decision that could affect many people based off of the needs of one person. Children often times are not even consulted when parents are deciding what their kids can and can not handle. While it is the parent’s job to protect their child, both the parents and the children need to be on the same page and need to regulate what the child reads based off of their own needs. Often times books are banned because they do not uphold the values of the people challenging them. Since everyone has their own individual beliefs, there is no way to determine what should be available to everyone. Books help to explore many different point of views in a relatable or easy to understand way. Moby-Dick, an extremely popular book even in today's society has been banned because it ¨conflicted with their community values¨. Often times when making arguments for banning a book, people
Books like The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Grapes of Wrath, have been considered to be some of the best American classics. These books also have another thing in common: They are frequently challenged and banned in the United States. Book banning and censorship have been around for thousands of years. Most early form of book censorship have been book burnings. Before the invention of the printing press, there were only a few copies of each book, so it was effective to burn a book and erase it from history. In modern times, book burning is not as effective, seeing as books are widely distributed, and there is no way to gather all copies of a book. Even though book burnings are still occasionally …show more content…
Everyone holds their own beliefs and ideas about what is right and how things should be. What may be considered right to one person, may be considered completely wrong to another person. No one person has the right to decide what is best for everybody. The author’s own ideologies are often expressed in books, and while people may not always agree with them, it is important not to restrict access to these books for people who many agree with them or want to learn about the specific point of view expressed in a certain book. The people in charge of banning books, such as school boards, try to decide what kids can and cannot handle without trusting the discretion of the youth they are trying to "protect". (Crutcher 1). Every child learns and progresses at different rates. To ban a book because it is unsuitable for one kid, could prevent another kid from getting the resources they need to learn and grow. What is right for one person is not what is right for everyone. It is unfair to make a decision that could affect many people based off of the needs of one person. Children often times are not even consulted when parents are deciding what their kids can and can not handle. While it is the parent’s job to protect their child, both the parents and the children need to be on the same page and need to regulate what the child reads based off of their own needs. Often times books are banned because they do not uphold the values of the people challenging them. Since everyone has their own individual beliefs, there is no way to determine what should be available to everyone. Books help to explore many different point of views in a relatable or easy to understand way. Moby-Dick, an extremely popular book even in today's society has been banned because it ¨conflicted with their community values¨. Often times when making arguments for banning a book, people