Sunday 10 May 2009

Banning Books: A Most Controversial Novel

Although it's one of the most famous novels of the past century, Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is also one of the most controversial, an honour that it shares with Harry Potter! What? You're surprised that Harry Potter is controversial? The American Library Association (ALA) keeps statistics on requests to ban books, and for the years 2000 - 2005, the Harry Potter series is the number one book that people in the US wanted banned (2006). And Of Mice and Men is number 4 on the same list, more than half a century after it was written!  Ever since he published it in 1937, there have been plenty of people who want Of Mice and Men banned, as the ALA statistics for the years 1990 - 2000 also show (2007). 

There are a couple of issues arising from this that I think are worth discussing. First, the general questions:
  • Should books ever be banned? 
  • Does your country ban books? What books are banned in your country? Why? 
  • What might be good reasons for banning a book? 
  • What are bad reasons for banning a book? 
  • Who should decide whether a book is to be banned or not? Government bodies or private bodies? Why should they be the ones to decide? 
And the more specific questions about the controversial novel we are studying:
  • Do you think Of Mice and Men should be banned? Why? Why not? 
  • Why do you think that so many people have always wanted this novel banned? 
    Do you think those reasons are good or bad? Why? Why not? 
  • Should we be studying a novel that is so controversial? Why? Why not? 
  • Many American high schools also make Of Mice and Men a set text for their students to study. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why? 
And since this is a response writing, where the primary aim is to express your ideas in clearly written English sentences, you can wander around and away from the topic if that's where your thoughts lead. 

Whilst I think it would be preferable to post your ideas as a comment below, if you would like to write your ideas as a new post, you are welcome to do so. 

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References
American Library Association. (2006, September 21). Harry Potter tops list of most challenged books of 21st Century. ALA: American Library Association. Retrieved on May 10, 2009 from http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2006/september2006/harrypottermostchallenge.cfm
American Library Association. (2007, February 16). The 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000. ALA: American Library Association. Retrieved on May 10, 2009 from http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.cfm


11 comments:

  1. Australia, like the US, censors very little, so very books are ever banned. Of course, some schools or other groups will decide they don't want some books on their shelves, but that is not a ban that affects anyone else. A few Christian groups in Australia also complained about Harry Potter, but most people probably thought they were a joke for being so silly. Harry Potter has magic, monsters, and ghosts, but I don't think that is what upset the Christians. I think they were upset because there is no god in Harry Potter, and Rowling seems to suggest that death means death and nothing else. That is probably what upset some Christians.

    I can understand that Of Mice and Men would upset, and even strongly offend, some people, but that is never a good reason to ban anything. There are some good reasons for banning books or other censorship, but offending or upsetting people can never be one of the good reasons; it can only be a bad reason. This doesn't mean we should try to offend people, but it does mean that if we live in a free and democratic country, where free speech is taken seriously, that we must accept that some people will say or write things that we hate. I hate racist comments and anti-gay comments, for example, but I don't think such things should be banned.

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  2. In my country, few books are banned,such as too violence or sensual story,so much opinions which discriminated particular people, and disclose the other people's life or character.

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  3. I think books should not be banned because we can have many advantages when we learn both of good sides and bad sides from the books.

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  4. A black boy I don not remember exactly was banned in Japan because the boy is the black. When I was a little girl, I really liked the picture book because the story was interested. I could not understand why the book had disappear from the book store and was banned just because it was written about the black. My mother said that it is descrimination but I thought the comment was also descrimation. I also am not sure now.

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  5. Banning a book is depend on your opinion.I think it shouldn't ban because every books have their own benefits.But,if they copy ,it should be baned.

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  6. In my opinion, all of the book which contain educational purpose should not be banned. For Harry Potter, this book is not really good for children because there are fighting, magic and many things else that make the reader's thinking become unreality. So I think it should be banned.
    The bad reason to banned a book that is because you don't like the writer, or the book contain what you don't like.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. I think that every book should not be banned because author's ideas should be a freedom. Therefore; people can create new ideas from their books. For example, I know that Harry Potter is banned in some countries because of religion.

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  9. In Thailand, just a little books have been banned and I can not remember the name of that books. Most of them are related in political and sex. Political book has been banned because it could make conflic in the social.

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  10. In my country,Banning book does not often occur because in Thailand does not give more attention to books so there is no one who always check about suitable of books any more.

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  11. In my country, comunist books are banned.

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