The following books have been banned by academic institutions for political reasons ranging from inaccurate portrayals of history, the promotion of nationalism and Marxism, and dystopian propaganda. These books were banned due to political reasons. Some books like the Grapes of Wrath was banned because Steinback didn’t give enough credit to the community for helping migrants while Invisible Man was banned because of the book carrying content regarding black nationalism and Marxist ideas.
What are some of the most popular banned books?
- The Outsiders. S. ...
- The Bluest Eye. For many readers, The Bluest Eye is their introduction to Toni Morrison. ...
- All the Bright Places. ...
- Two Boys Kissing. ...
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ...
- Looking for Alaska. ...
- Are You There God? ...
- The Witches. ...
- It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health. ...
- The Golden Compass. ...
What are the reasons that books have been banned?
- Classic books and contemporary young adult novels have been banned in schools.
- Language, sexual content, and even "Satanic" themes have all been the subject of complaints.
- A Tennessee school board just voted to ban " Maus ," a graphic novel about the Holocaust.
Why we shouldn't ban books?
There are however many valid reasons why books should not be banned. One of the main reasons is that preventing people from learning about some of the harsh realities of life robs them of the knowledge they need in order to grow. Books also are one of the main sources that teach us about history, emotions, and new ways of thinking.
What are the most banned books in America?
The 10 Most-Banned Books in America
- 1 Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe. ...
- 2 Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison. ...
- 3 All Boys Aren't Blue, by George M. ...
- 4 Out of Darkness, by Ashley Hope Pérez. ...
- 5 The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas. ...
- 6 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. ...
- 8 The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison. ...
Why does the government ban books?
The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom: the material was considered to be 'sexually explicit' the material contained 'offensive language' the material was 'unsuited to any age group'
Why is book banning an issue?
Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the United States, with children's literature being the primary target. Advocates for banning a book or certain books fear that children will be swayed by its contents, which they regard as potentially dangerous.
What is the #1 reason books get banned in the United States?
While violence and substance use both make the top 10, sexually explicit content draws far more criticism, ranking the No. 1 most cited reason for seeking to ban a book.
Why did books start getting banned?
Banning books is an effort, unknowingly, to resurrect the early modern Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation against both radical Catholics and early Protestants, which attempted to halt unauthorized reading, including curtailing the ability of individuals to read for themselves.
Why are American schools banning books?
"They think they're shielding children from what they believe are difficult ideas, topics and information." Many experts argue that these bans infringe on the rights of students and other parents.
Who is responsible for banning books?
Although the US government has engaged in small levels of book banning throughout its history, most books are banned or challenged on a more local scale.
Why is The Lorax banned?
The Lorax by Dr. Dr. Seuss' environmental kid's book was banned in 1989 in a California school because it was believed to portray logging in a poor light and would turn children against the foresting industry.
Why is Lord of the Flies banned?
Racial Slurs A committee of the Toronto, Canada Board of Education ruled on June 23, 1988, that the novel is "racist and recommended that it be removed from all schools" after parents objected to the book's use of racial profanity, saying that the novel denigrated Black people, according to the ALA.
Why is the color purple banned?
There have been different reasons for the book being banned, including religious objections, homosexuality, violence, African history, rape, incest, drug abuse, explicit language, and sexual scenes. These challenges were all eventually overruled.
What are the Top 5 reasons most books are challenged?
Why are books challenged?the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"the material contained "offensive language"the materials was "unsuited to any age group"
Why is Uncle Tom's Cabin banned?
The history of books being banned in America is thought to stem back to 1852 when Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was published. Stowe's novel was banned in the south preceding the Civil War for holding pro-abolitionist views and arousing debates on slavery.
Who was the first to ban books?
Between 259 BC and 210 BC, Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang executed 460 Confucian scholars by burying them alive — the idea being that it's easier to prevent authors from writing things in the first place if they're dead.
What are the consequences of banning books?
For students, book banning means a denial of First Amendment rights, a narrow world view, and psychological deficits. For the classroom, book banning means discourse is hindered. These effects are taken into account and solutions are presented to help foster culture, community and conversation.
Why schools should not ban books?
Books can serve as a window, providing a view into others' lives and experiences. Banning them shuts that window, however, and hides stories behind a curtain of censorship; according to the American Library Association, more than 273 books were challenged in 2020 alone.
What happens when a book is considered banned?
A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.
How does banning books violate the First Amendment?
The First Amendment protects individuals against the government's “abridging the freedom of speech.” However, government actions that some may deem censorship – especially as related to schools – are not always neatly classified as constitutional or unconstitutional, because “censorship” is a colloquial term, not a ...
What is a "damaging" book?
Things outside of the norm include drug use, drinking under age, pre-marital sex, and homosexuality. While a few aren’t "damaging" lifestyles, they are still enough to get a book banned. Some examples include "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger and "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville.
What books treat people differently based on their skin color?
A few examples include "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain and "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.
Is the Call of the Wild a dark book?
A few examples are "Native Son" by Richard Wright that includes sexual violence and is a very dark book. Another is "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London that has been deemed extremely violent and has overarching dark themes overall.
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Reasons for being banned, restricted, or challenged: "LGBTQIA+ content, for 'its effect on any young people who would read it,' and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased."
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
Reasons for being banned, restricted, or challenged: "LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is 'designed to pollute the morals of its readers,' and for not including a content warning."
Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and You by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Reasons for being banned, restricted, or challenged: "LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were 'inappropriate.'"
The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
Reasons for being banned, restricted, or challenged: "For referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use "nefarious means" to attain goals."
The "Captain Underpants" series by Dav Pilkey
Reasons for being banned, restricted, or challenged: "Series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while 'Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot' was challenged for including a same-sex couple."
Analyzing Clusters
The first step I took on word2vec was using the clusters. By creating clusters, I hoped to find words that were provocative, offensive or alarming. There were several clusters that seemed to fit these categories.
Searching Character Names
The first name I searched was “Lolita”. The words closest to Lolita were concerning. Lolita is told from the perspective of Humbert, Lolita’s stepfather. However, Humbert is also in love with Lolita and he tries to form a sexual relationship with her. Referring to Lolita as “darling”, “pubescent” and “child” is disturbing.
Other Quarries
Sometimes, searching the names of main characters was not helpful since the reason for the ban wasn’t necessarily related to a specific character. As a result, I had to search other queries with keywords that could give insight into the language used when describing potentially problematic scenes.
Difficulties Encountered
There were several difficulties I encountered when running these queries. For instance, the name Tom was used in multiple books. Searching “Tom’ was not helpful because there are Toms in The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Conclusions
Although I enjoyed conducting this research, I found the results to be extremely frustrating. There was really nothing similar among all of the books. Violence and infidelity were seen in multiple books, as was offensive language. However, there wasn’t anything consistent between all of them.
What is the name of the book that was banned by the Arab governments?
W.W. Norton & Co. "The Arabian Nights" is a collection of tales, which has been banned by Arab governments. Various editions of "The Arabian Nights" were also banned by the U.S. government under the Comstock Law of 1873. 04.
Why was Anne Frank banned?
She hides with her family, but she is eventually discovered and sent to a concentration camp (where she died). This book was banned for passages that were considered "sexually offensive," as well as for the tragic nature of the book, which some readers felt was a "real downer."
Why was Catcher in the Rye banned?
"The Catcher in the Rye" is famous as the most censored, banned and challenged book between 1966 and 1975 for being "obscene," with an "excess of vulgar language, sexual scenes, and things concerning moral issues.". 11.
Why was the color purple banned?
Harcourt. " The Color Purple ," by Alice Walker, received the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, but the book has been frequently challenged and banned for what has been termed "sexual and social explicitness.". The novel involves sexual assault and abuse.
What is the book Lord of the Flies about?
The book is about a group of schoolboys who create their own civilization. Despite the fact that " Lord of the Flies" was a bestseller, the novel has been banned and challenged — based on the "excessive violence and bad language." For his body of work, William Golding received the Nobel Prize for literature and he was knighted.
What is the book called "The Call of the Wild" about?
Published by American author Jack London in 1903, " The Call of the Wild" tells the story of a dog who reverts to his primordial impulses in the frigid wilds of the Yukon territory. The book is a popular piece for study in American literature classrooms (sometimes read in conjunction with "Walden" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"). The novel was banned in Yugoslavia and Italy. In Yugoslavia, the complaint was that the book was "too radical."
What is Fahrenheit 451 about?
Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" is about book burning and censorship (the title refers to the temperature at which paper burns), but the topic hasn't saved the novel from its own exposure to controversy and censorship. Several words and phrases (for example, "hell" and "damn") in the book have been deemed inappropriate and/or objectionable.
Why are books banned?
Some books are banned because they portray kids in dangerous situations; others get banned because they contain a poem about breaking dishes . Such was the case with Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic, which is filled with silly and humorous poems that let kids in on the joke. But parents in Beloit, Wisconsin, apparently missed the memo: They got Attic banned because they said its fifth poem, "How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes," would "encourage children to break dishes, so they won’t have to dry them." But that was mere child's play compared to charges leveled against Attic a year later by another school in Wisconsin, which claimed that Silverstein's book "glorified Satan, suicide and cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient." Maybe Silverstein should have written in big, bold letters that the poems were jokes.
Why is the diary of a young girl banned?
In 2010, the Culpeper County School District banned the definitive edition after a parent complained about its "passages detail her emerging sexual desires," according to the Washington Post. However, the district soon reversed this decision, allowing the definitive version to stay in the library, while having classes read an older edition without the passages. Ridiculous, but still better than the time members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee wanted to ban Diary of a Young Girl because it was, in their opinion, “a real downer.”
Why was Huck Finn banned from the library?
The library banned Huck Finn because “Huck not only itched but scratched, and that he said sweat when he should have said perspiration.”
Why was Lord of the Flies banned?
The book was banned in schools in Norwalk, Connecticut, as early as the 1960s, and attempts to knock it off reading lists haven't let up since. In fact, in 1981, Owen High School, in North Carolina—which did not like the lesson the book was teaching—attempted to ban the book because it was believed to be “demoralizing inasmuch that it implies that man is little more than an animal.” In the ‘80s, a mother of a high school student in the Onida School District in South Dakota even stated that “reading the book will cause depression, revulsion, and sadistic tendencies in children.”
When was the book Harriet published?
Published in 1964 , this Louise Fitzhugh book is considered a classic. It tells the story of 11-year-old Harriet, who keeps a notebook filled with honest thoughts about the people in her life—but when her notebook is discovered, she has to deal with the backlash. Seems innocent enough—but in 1983 some parents in Xenia, Ohio, disagreed, challenging the book’s presence at a school board meeting. They felt that the book taught children to lie, spy, and back-talk. Their challenge ultimately failed, but this wasn’t the first time Harriet experienced controversy: According to NPR, when the book was first published, not all critics were fans, and some schools were able to ban the tale.
How Do Books Get Banned?
It’s important to note that what is considered grounds for a challenge varies greatly based on where / who is making the challenge. What is considered a “damaging” lifestyle could encompass things like cohabitation before marriage in the eyes of a religious school, buy that likely would not lead to removal in a normal public school.
What is banned books week?
Each September, the American Library Association and Amnesty International join forces to promote an awareness campaign known as Banned Books Week.
Why was Catcher in the Rye banned?
The Catcher in the Rye (published 1951): banned by a number of schools at the request of parents for its “unacceptable” and “obscene” content.
What countries banned the book Ulysses?
Ulysses (published 1922): banned (and sometimes burned) for “obscene” content in the U.S., Ireland, UK, Canada, and Spain.
Why was Grapes of Wrath banned?
The Grapes of Wrath (published 1939): banned (and even burned) by numerous schools and libraries for “vulgar words” and “inappropriate sexual references;” banned in Ireland; temporarily banned in California for its alleged “unflattering portrayal of residents of the area.”. The Catcher in the Rye (published 1951): banned by a number ...
How many stories are in the book Black Death?
The book contains 100 tales that follow a group of seven young women and three young men, as they shelter in a secluded villa outside Florence during the Black Death. The stories range from the tragic to the erotic (which is why it was banned for so long in the U.S. and other countries.)
Why do parents challenge books?
Parents (or any individuals, for that matter) can challenge books in an effort to have them removed from the curriculum or library, which consequently restricts the access of others.
Racial Issues
Encouragement of "Damaging" Lifestyles
Blasphemous Dialogue
Sexual Situations Or Dialogue
Violence Or Negativity
Presence of Witchcraft
Religious Affiliations Or Unpopular Religions Present
- This presents a huge problem because in this case books are banned simply because they represent different beliefs than their own. A big example is the "Percy Jackson" seriesby Rick Riordan which incorporates Greek and Roman Mythology. This hasn’t been banned everywhere but in many libraries, it is banned simply because it presents a different reli...
Political Bias
Age Inappropriate