Essay 1st draft

K. Megan Nalli

Mrs. Post

AP Language Composition

21 April 2011

Banished to the Back

         Beginning from the time that books were first printed for more than record keeping, authority figures have fought to weed out the ideas that disagree with what they want depicted. Today this practice is still in full swing, however, more so in some places than in others. America—in comparison to China and her internet blocks as well—seems tame and uninfected by the dangerous mind set of censorship, but every day books are challenged by our committees and government.

         Before beginning to wallow in the despair of censored reading, the people of America should understand what makes a banned book? In the school systems—where it is most prevalent—banning a book begins. Or, why would people remove books from the shelves of schools? The top ten most challenged books of 2009 mostly contained two things in common: they were 'sexually explicit' and 'unsuited to age group.' (ala.org) Books like The Bluest Eye, and The Kite Runner—both contain elements of rape, weirdly neither on the 2009 list, but are sure to be challenged again, even in the AP courses—should not be challenged at the Senior high school level due to being 'unsuitable.' Place them in a middle or elementary school and issues will arise, but at least at those levels the ban is acceptable.

         However, banning of childrens' books takes place as well. One of the few child books on the list is a sweet story called And Tango Makes Three. The story, based off of the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins, and their adoptive daughter, Tango, is geared for younger kids of about kindergarten age. In 2008, it was the most challenged book according to the American Literature Association. The reasons then were “anti-family” and “anti-ethnic,” as well as “homosexuality.” In 2009, it dropped to number two. It also dropped any reasons other than homosexuality. Is there something so wrong in teaching children that love is what makes a family? Isn't having a family preferred over being an orphan?

         Not all of the books strung up for the gallows were challenged at their time, a few of the books on Adler & Robin's list of once banned or now banned books, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Canterbury Tales were considered perfectly tame in the days they were published. Now, due to changed social structure and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird face the threat of banned or of rewriting to make them more politically correct. Since “sugarcoating”--the act of making something unpleasant more pleasant (dictionary.com)--takes place even in text books, shouldn't it take place in literature?

         The answer is no. It should not even be happening by textbooks, but they adhere to different sets of guidelines that literature. In literature, students learn to see past the words into worlds not their own. Changing key factors—though I too personally disagree with the 'N' word—such as words that were a part of the common dialect removes too much information. If world choice bothers a group of in the classroom, or a teacher, there needs to be an alternative provided.

         *****Well, at least now American students are protected from local decisions on what we can and can not read. In 1982,

Works Referenced

Adlerbooks.com. Adler & Robin Books, nd. Web. 17 April 2011.

“Banned Books.” Mullally, Claire. Firstamendmentcenter.org. First Amendment Center, nd. Web.          17 April 2011.

Ala.org. American Literature Association, nd. Web 21 April 2011

Peake, Kevin; Chronicle, Austin. “Burn Baby Burn.” Poster. Therag.blogspot.com. np, nd. Web.          17 April 2011.

“What Is A Banned Book?” Lombardi, Esther. About.com. np. nd. Web. 17 April 2011

         dictionary.com. Np, nd, Web. 22 April 2011