George Orwell, renowned author of “1984” and “Animal Farm,” seems to have successfully predicted the future 76 years before his time. Progressive American culture has officially taken regressive steps as of 2022, as the Georgia Senate Bill 226 now requires schools to establish a formal procedure to address parent and guardian concerns regarding materials that are considered harmful to minors.
The bill sprouts from growing controversy around a lack of guidelines stating what is considered harmful or inappropriate for minors. Due to this ambiguity, many parents and members of the community are taking it upon themselves to determine what should and should not be accessible to minors. These individuals, however, often fail to understand how their overbearing actions are more harmful to students than the so-called “inappropriate” books themselves.
From a student’s perspective, banning literature is simply the start of the censorship and elimination of unheard voices. Banning books is detrimental to students’ cultivation of their own perspectives, opinions and understanding of the real world. Consequently, we will see less empathetic and learned individuals and an ignorant society of people who are narrow-minded and prejudiced.
The practice of book banning dates back centuries with the first in the U.S. taking place in 1637, namely Thomas Morton’s “New English Canaan” for its criticism of the Puritans. In the 20th century, as social norms relaxed, libraries and schools began to rally against administrators and parents, fighting attempted bans on works such as “The Catcher in the Rye” and “Huckleberry Finn.”
While this trajectory should be promoting more freedom surrounding literature, it seems to be increasingly ineffective. Between July 21, 2021, and March 31, 2022, there were 1,586 book bans in 86 school districts across 26 states. This practice affected millions of students, with the bans targeting books that addressed LGBTQ+ issues, racism, sexual content/assault and topics associated with grief or death.
The censorship of these issues can lead to the erasure of minorities, and the lack of exposure to such complexities, in place of protecting students, sets students up for hardship and failure in the future.
In place of the elimination of this type of literature, these authors’ voices should be amplified, promoting empathy and equity in classrooms. Some argue that banning difficult books creates a “safe space” in classrooms. But classrooms are not supposed to protect us from reality — they are supposed to prepare us for it. Just because topics such as racism, violence and grief are uncomfortable does not mean that they should be removed from classrooms. Shielding students from the world does not make it less violent or unfair; it just leaves students less prepared to face it.
In Georgia, parents have asked that classics such as Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and best sellers such as “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” be removed from school media centers. As of 2024, Clarke Central High School challenged the presence of “Sula” by Toni Morrison in their media center; Marietta and Cobb County schools requested the removal of Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why.” The primary reason for this was the presence of explicit content in the novel.
What parents and community members are failing to do, however, is understand the context in which explicit content takes place. “The Bluest Eye” and “Sula” are examples of Toni Morrison’s inimitable and seminal telling of the struggles of African Americans, racism and morality in the U.S. By giving into censorship of triggering topics, we are diminishing the ways in which society learns from the past and from a violent history.
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a coming-of-age story that many teens can relate to and find solace in. By eliminating these forms of literature, society is eradicating the way students can relate to and appreciate literature, while also undermining the importance of literature in shaping students’ world views.
I recently witnessed the challenge of a book in classrooms by parents myself. A ninth-grade English composition teacher assigned Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street,” a coming-of-age book relating the story of a young Mexican American girl living in a Chicago neighborhood. In addition to ninth graders, this class also consisted of accelerated eighth graders, a demographic in which parents are much more involved.
Upon doing a brief Google search of the book, these parents discovered that there was a vague rape scene mentioned in the novel. Eighth-grade parents petitioned to have the book removed from the summer assignment under the erroneous belief that the novel included heavy, sexually explicit and inappropriate content. Parents even criticized the novel’s vignette-style, claiming it carried little literary value. Administrators eventually succumbed to the complaints and offered an alternative story instead.
This example stands out to me as someone who read “The House on Mango Street” and was impressed with the revelatory nature of the book, which touched on taboo topics without being too explicit. What these parents failed to understand was that while the book contained references to sexual assault , by banning this book, they are simultaneously allowing their children to become oblivious to the reality of the real world and undermining the stories of victims. Without literature, students are deprived of their introduction to the parts of the world that they are unaware of — and privileged enough to never have to experience.
In his novel “Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury warns against the dangers of censorship and government oppression. Ironically, his book was banned in numerous states due to claims of vulgarity and opposition to authority. What Bradbury’s allegory teaches society is that books are the basis of independent thought and knowledge. Without it, humanity falls victim to conformity and ignorance.
Students and readers of all ages require exposure to topics outside of their comfort zone. While initially uncomfortable, it allows for the development of critical thinking and empathy. It may be dramatic to compare the annihilation of libraries and novels to the banning that occurs today; but, if decisions and actions continue to take place the way they are currently, we are not far from the dystopian society that we were all taught to fear.