By Savannah Pennington
The age-old argument of censorship versus freedom of speech and self-expression remains as relevant as ever in the world of books. The age of unprecedented access to information via the Internet has presented a fresh set of challenges in determining the line between appropriate and inappropriate.
Many believe that people should be able to make the decision for themselves whether they will or won’t read something. Others argue that certain books or articles should be banned to protect the general public from content that may go against certain morals or values.
PEN America recorded 3,362 instances of book bans in public school classrooms and libraries from July 2022 to June 2023 across the country. Of that 3,362, around 1,400 took place in Florida. PEN America is a nonprofit organization that produces original research on threats to free expression such as book bans, online abuse and disinformation.
Image courtesy of PEN America
Book bans occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states.
Many believe that people should be able to decide for themselves whether they will or won’t read something. Others argue that certain books or articles should be banned to protect the general public from content that may go against certain morals or values.
The American Library Association reports a record-breaking 1,269 number of demands to ban library books in 2022 alone. In addition, The ALA reported that 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase over the 1,858 titles targeted for censorship during the previous year. Of the 2,571 challenges, 41% targeted materials in public libraries, and 58% targeted materials in school libraries and curriculums.
38% increase in challenges for book bans from 2021 to 2022.
The primary reason people fight for book bans is due to offensive content. This content can range from explicit language to explicit sexual content or violence. Other reasons include political or religious content, as well as ethics-based content. Any potentially harmful material is often deemed justified when it comes to banning books. These concerns are raised in the interest of preventing younger readers from consuming this controversial content.
Florida Southern College English professor, Dr. Erica Bernheim, being an avid reader herself, recalls a time in her life when the “banned” title dubbed to a book made her more interested in reading the content of said book.
“Nothing makes me want to read something more than knowing that it’s off limits.” Bernheim states. “I know when I was a kid I would always look through older books looking for smutty sections and such. My dad told me when ‘The Catcher and the Rye’ was published that he and his friends couldn’t wait to read it because they kept hearing that it was so bad for them.”
Banned books frequently become bestsellers as the controversy and chaos surrounding them piques the public’s interest and motivates them to dive into the forbidden content.
“I think it goes back to that idea of control. I think that knowledge is very powerful and sometimes people don’t want their children exposed to certain ideas.” Bernheim said. “I also think that classic texts that are usually not banned, like ‘Romeo and Juliet’, are tremendously smutty and violent and all about teenagers getting themselves into trouble and defying their parents. So I really don’t know why people object to more direct language.”
Many parents argue that it is their responsibility to ensure that the books their children are reading are books that align with their family’s values and beliefs. They support the idea that book bans in schools help supplement this concept.
On the opposing side, many believe that while, yes, it is up to parents to dictate what their children are reading, there are also certain topics that should be discussed and shouldn’t be swept under the rug. Bernheim mentions that when she was nine years old her father had her read “Animal Farm” as an experiment of sorts. She didn’t understand the underlying theme but she was really sad that the horse died in the end. She doesn’t believe that a book like “Animal Farm” is appropriate for a younger audience.
“I wouldn’t give ‘Twilight’ to a six-year-old. Right? It just doesn’t seem to fit.” Bernheim explains. “So no, not in favor of banning books at all, but certainly being aware of context and age.”
Image courtesy of PEN America
The most banned books of 2022-2023 contain content relating to LGBTQ+ themes, racial themes or sexual themes.
Polk State College English professor, Lynsay McCaulley is a firm believer that a blanket ban on a book does nothing to help the general public.
“We’re not all the same. We come from different life experiences, and we all have different thresholds…I might feel uncomfortable with something that the person next to me is totally fine with. My opinions on that discomfort relate to me, it doesn’t relate to everyone. So I don’t think anyone has the right to say that no this doesn’t need to exist at all.”
McCaulley believes that people can make the decision to not consume the content they don’t want to see or that they do not agree with, but that doesn’t mean said content should be blocked from everyone. McCaulley’s perspective reflects on the idea that diverse content and viewpoints should remain accessible to anyone and everyone.