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Added NCAC link to intro Chrismulterer (talk) 04:42, 7 November 2016 (UTC)Chrismulterer

Add link to Book Censorship wiki page Chrismulterer (talk) 04:46, 7 November 2016 (UTC)Chrismulterer

National Coalition Against Censorship

Separate examples of censored books into books suppressed on political, religious, sexual, and social grounds.

Start reading bibliographies of texts about censorship as a whole. Could give ideas for how to structure the article. Chrismulterer (talk) 02:31, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

Bibliography of possible books/articles to use to improve this page

Works Cited

Bald, Margaret,. Literature Suppressed on Religious Grounds. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1998. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A. : A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, US: Greenwood Press, 2002. Web.

Karolides, Nicholas J., Bald, Margaret., Sova,Dawn B.,. 120 Banned Books : Censorship Histories of World Literature. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc., 2011. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Karolides, Nicholas J.,. Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1998. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Sova, Dawn B.,. Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1998. /z-wcorg/. Web.

---. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Chrismulterer (talk) 02:39, 14 November 2016 (UTC)Chrismulterer


Book Censorship is the act of banning, challenging, suppressing, or other means to limit the public’s access to a book. Censors challenge books that they deem to be inappropriate, harmful, or sensitive for the public, specifically children. Most cases of book censorship arise in public schools and public libraries. Books have been censored for a number of reasons, including sexually explicit material, offensive language, violence, anti-family sentiments, and themes in books that are unseated for the intended age group. Book censorship has been prevalent in the United States for a number of years and many books have become famous because of their controversial history. There are many authorities who have attempted to censor books in the United States, with the most common initiators being parents and patrons.[1] Other initiators include school boards, administrators, teachers, government bodies, and religious groups.[2] The vast majority of challenges take place in public libraries and schools (including both classrooms and school libraries).[3] Several professional organizations, such as the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Freedom to Read Foundation(FTRF) have formed to oppose and cease the banning of books. These institutions attempt to combat censorship in all forms by employing various programs and alerting the public every time a book is banned somewhere in the United States. The ALA posts an annual list of the top ten most challenged books from that year, and also post an all-time list of most challenged books in history.[4] With the aid of NCAC and FTRF, the ALA also promote an annual campaign called Banned Books Week, where the organizations attempt to raise awareness to censorship and encourage parents and students to protest book censorship as to gain intellectual freedom. The legality of book censorship has been argued by these groups, and first-amendment rights have been challenged in front of the Supreme Court of the United States multiple times.[5] While the majority of challenged books are fictional literature that normalize controversial issues in the United States, there are other types of literature that is suppressed as well. Textbooks have been challenged if the administration does not agree with the historical accuracy of the text book, or if the textbook has a bias towards a certain viewpoint that is not shared by the audience.[6]

(Add sections on literature suppressed by sexual, political, religious, and social grounds- this draft is for social)

There are dozens of examples of books suppressed on social grounds. Books that are challenged frequently on social grounds have similar themes and characters to them. The reasons for a book being suppressed on social grounds are language, racial characterization, depiction of drug use, social class or sexual orientation of characters, or other social differences that the challengers have viewed as harmful to readers.[7] Dawn Sova authored Literature Suppresed on Social Grounds, a novel that lists all of the books banned on the preceding grounds to raise awareness of why books are banned. Publisher Ken Wachsberger states in the preface “Sova highlights, among others, several recent campaigns against books showing same-sex relationships when no overt-sex is included and even when the resulting relationships are happy and healthy. Obviously, many self-styles protectors of our sensibilities believe it better to be straight and unhappy than queer and happy”.[8] A few examples of this type of censorship is J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. All of these stories have main characters who disrespect authority and live not according to rules. Holden Caulfield, Randle McMurphy, and Huck Finn are similar in their use of vulgar language and anti-traditionalist world views. All of these books have themes of characters who are idolized for breaking the rules and living life that is full of pleasures instead of listening and adhering to traditional order.[9] Many have sought to ban these books because they fear that the rebellious nature of the characters will lead to children following them and having no respect for their parents or teachers or the law.[10] Ironically, many of the books that are banned for these reasons find themselves even more popular, and result in even more citizens wanting to buy and read the book because of the controversial status. Catcher in the Rye is a famous example of this, as the banning of the book is a reason why the book is considered a classic by many communities.[11]

Chrismulterer (talk) 17:16, 21 November 2016 (UTC)


Ideas for formatting the entire article

1. Introduction 

   a. Defining terms
   b. legality of censorship

2. Reasons for censorship 

   a. Introduction 
   b. Social 
   c. Political 
   d. Sexual 
   e. Religious

3. Notable censored books 

   a. Catcher in the Rye 
   b. Of Mice and Men 
   c. How to Kill a Mockingbird 
   d. Harry Potter

4. List of censored books 5. Specific cases Chrismulterer (talk) 18:13, 28 November 2016 (UTC)


Final Draft

Book Censorship is the act of banning, challenging, suppressing, or using other means to limit the public’s access to a book. Censors challenge books that they deem to be inappropriate, harmful, or sensitive for the public, specifically children. Books have been censored for a number of reasons, including sexually explicit material, offensive language, violence, anti-family sentiments, and themes in books that are unsuited for the intended age group.[12] Book censorship has been prevalent in the United States for a number of years and many books have become famous because of their controversial history. The most common initiators of book censorship are parents and patrons.[13] Other initiators include school boards, administrators, teachers, government bodies, and religious groups.[14] The vast majority of challenges take place in public libraries and school classroom.[15] Several professional organizations, such as the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) have been formed to oppose and end the banning of books. These institutions attempt to combat censorship in all forms by employing various programs and alerting the public every time a book is banned somewhere in the United States.[16][17][18]. The ALA posts an annual list of the top ten most challenged books from each year and includes the reasons for censorship for each of those included texts. With the aid of NCAC and FTRF, the ALA also promotes an annual campaign called “Banned Books Week” , where the organizations attempt to raise awareness to censorship and encourage parents and students to protest book censorship in an effort to expand and gain intellectual freedom.[19] While the majority of challenged books are fictional literature that are opposed because they potentially normalize controversial issues in the United States, there are other types of literature that are suppressed as well.[20] Textbooks have been challenged when the administration does not agree with the historical accuracy of the text book, or if the textbook has a bias towards a certain viewpoint that is not shared by the audience.

(Add sections on literature suppressed by sexual, political, religious, and social grounds- this draft is for social)

Book Censorship on Social Grounds - Books that have been suppressed “because of language, racial characterization, or depiction of drug use, social class, or sexual orientation of the characters, or other social differences that the challengers viewed as harmful to the readers.”[21] There are many examples of books being suppressed on social grounds in the United States. Dawn Sova authored Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds, a novel that lists books that have been banned or challenged on the preceding grounds to raise awareness of why books are censored. A few examples of this type of censorship are J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. All of these stories have main characters who disrespect authority and live not according to societal norms and social rules.[22] Holden Caulfield, Randle McMurphy, and Huck Finn are similar in their use of vulgar language and anti-traditionalist world views.[23] All of these books have themes of characters who are idolized for breaking the rules and living life that is full of pleasures instead of listening and adhering to traditional order. Sova suggests that censors have sought to ban these books because they fear that the rebellious nature of the characters will lead children to follow them, meaning they will have no respect for their parents, the law or teachers.[24] Both Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are among the most famous of censored books, with both being included in a list of “Banned Books That Shaped America” made by Banned Books Week.[25] Catcher in the Rye also topped Time Magazine’s list of the top ten censored books of all time,[26] and ranked number 2 on the ALA’s banned and challenged classics list.[27] Chrismulterer (talk) 16:46, 30 November 2016 (UTC)


By next week I will have an outline of reasons for censorship section. Will utilize the Facts on File Literature suppressed series.

1. Literature suppressed on Social Grounds 2. Literature suppressed on Political Grounds 3. Literature suppressed on Religious Grounds 4. Literature suppressed on Sexual Grounds

Should research supreme court cases about first amendment Chrismulterer (talk) 16:58, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

Structure of article is taking shape as we continue to communicate with students from earlier class. Chrismulterer (talk) 16:57, 30 November 2016 (UTC)

Reasons for Censorship

[edit]

Social Reasons

[edit]

Books that have been suppressed “because of language, racial characterization, or depiction of drug use, social class, or sexual orientation of the characters, or other social differences that the challengers viewed as harmful to the readers.”[21] There are many examples of books being suppressed on social grounds in the United States. Dawn Sova authored Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds, a novel that lists books that have been banned or challenged on the preceding grounds to raise awareness of why books are censored. A few examples of this type of censorship are J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. All of these stories have main characters who disrespect authority and live not according to societal norms and social rules.[22] Holden Caulfield, Randle McMurphy, and Huck Finn are similar in their use of vulgar language and anti-traditionalist world views.[23] All of these books have themes of characters who are idolized for breaking the rules and living life that is full of pleasures instead of listening and adhering to traditional order. Sova suggests that censors have sought to ban these books because they fear that the rebellious nature of the characters will lead children to follow them, meaning they will have no respect for their parents, the law or teachers.[24]

Political Reasons

[edit]

Books have been suppressed by both local governments and the federal government of the United States for their political content. Books that are perceived to promote communism or socialism have a history of being banned in the United States. [28] The Communist Manifesto was heavily challenged and restricted in libraries across the country because of its pro-soviet themes, especially during the Red Scare in the 1950s.[28] Books with dystopian themes, such as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World were also challenged in the mid twentieth century United States due to un-american themes.[28]

Sexual Reasons

[edit]

Several books have been censored in the United States due to their sexual themes as well.[29] The children's book And Tango Makes Three has been one of the most challenged books in the 21st century due to the plot, which focuses on two homosexual penguins in the Central Park Zoo.[30] Tango is one of several books that have been censored because of homosexual themes. James Joyce's Ulysses (novel) is another example of a book that has been suppressed for obscenity, but rather than homosexuality, Ulysses was thought far too inappropriate because of the excessive sexual acts and masturbation in the book.[29] Ulysses was the subject of a court challenge in 1933, United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, in order to label the book obscene and pornographic[31] . Judge John Woolsey ruled the book was not obscene, marking a notable change in how the courts viewed obscenities in novels.[31]

Religious Reasons

[edit]

In the United States, books have also been challenged for attacking or disagreeing with religious truths.[32] On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin has been challenged and suppressed since its publication due to its groundbreaking theories on Evolution. In 1925, the Butler Act was enacted in Tennessee, banning the teaching of evolutionary theories statewide.[33] Other works, such as the Harry Potter series, have also been challenged thanks to themes that are perceived to promote witchcraft and the occult.[30]

  1. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  2. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  3. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  4. ^ "Frequently Challenged Books." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks.
  5. ^ "History of the Freedom to Read Foundation, 1969–2009". ftrf.site-ym.com.
  6. ^ "First Amendment Site." First Amendment Site. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.lehigh.edu/~infirst/bookcensorship.html.
  7. ^ Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. Revised ed. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  8. ^ Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. Revised ed. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  9. ^ Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. Revised ed. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  10. ^ Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. Revised ed. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  11. ^ "The Catcher in the Rye Catcher in the Rye: A History of Censorship." GradeSaver. Accessed November 21, 2016. http://www.gradesaver.com/the-catcher-in-the-rye/study-guide/catcher-in-the-rye-a-history-of-censorship.
  12. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  13. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  14. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  15. ^ "Infographics." Banned & Challenged Books. 2016. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics.
  16. ^ "Mission & History." About ALA. 2012. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory.
  17. ^ "Mission & History." About ALA. 2012. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionhistory.
  18. ^ "Freedom to Read Foundation." Freedom to Read Foundation. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.ftrf.org/.
  19. ^ "About." Banned Books Week. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/about.
  20. ^ "First Amendment Site." First Amendment Site. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.lehigh.edu/~infirst/bookcensorship.html.
  21. ^ a b Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  22. ^ a b Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  23. ^ a b Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  24. ^ a b Sova, Dawn B. Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York, NY: Facts On File, 1998.
  25. ^ "Banned Books That Shaped America." Banned Books Week. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica.
  26. ^ Staff, TIME. "The Catcher in the Rye | Top 10 Censored Books | TIME.com." Time. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://entertainment.time.com/2011/01/06/removing-the-n-word-from-huck-finn-top-10-censored-books/slide/the-catcher-in-the-rye-2/.
  27. ^ Staff, TIME. "The Catcher in the Rye | Top 10 Censored Books | TIME.com." Time. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://entertainment.time.com/2011/01/06/removing-the-n-word-from-huck-finn-top-10-censored-books/slide/the-catcher-in-the-rye-2/.
  28. ^ a b c Karolides, Jason (2006). Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds. New York, New York: Facts on File.
  29. ^ a b Sova, Dawn (2006). Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds. New York, New York: Facts on File. ISBN 0816033056.
  30. ^ a b admin (2013-03-26). "Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists". Banned & Challenged Books. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  31. ^ a b "Ulysses Trial: 1933 - Dictionary definition of Ulysses Trial: 1933 | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  32. ^ Bald, Margaret (2006). Literature suppressed on Religious Grounds. New York, New York: Facts on File. ISBN 0816062692.
  33. ^ "Tennesse Anti-evolution Statute - UMKC School of Law". law2.umkc.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
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