Arrest The Book Essay Research Paper Without

Arrest The Book Essay, Research Paper

Without free speech no search for truth is possible… no discovery of truth is useful… Better athousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. The abuse dies in a day, but thedenial slays the life of the people, and entombs the hope of the race. (Colley 15) As long ashumans have sought to communicate, others have sought to prevent them. Almost every ideaever thought has proved objectionable to one person or another, and almost everyone hassometimes felt the world would be a better place if only so and so would go away. Perhaps because of their prevalence, books, especially public and school library books, areamong the most visible targets of censorship. From Galileo, forced to recant his beliefs and watchhis works burned, to the Council appointed by King James to develop the definitive Englishversion of the Bible, which left so many books out, and into the present day, censorship has triedto suppress ideas, rather than refute them with better ideas. (Vogelback 91) Even to the presentday, we so often condemn books that were written to fight the very things we claim to be fighting.Mark Twain s (Samuel Clemens ) Huckleberry Finn is so often cited as being racist, when it waswritten against slavery and racism. There is always more than one side to any story. This is more true with censorship of thewritten word than with most topics. Therefore it is important to evaluate both extremes ofcensorship: censorship that hinders and censorship that protects. Censorship has many effects onsociety s way of thinking, both good and bad according to different people. Suzanne FisherStaples states that there is a concern for children and other people not being able to fully developtheir intellect due to restriction of reading material. Her article explores the fine but definite linebetween protection and hindrance. Today, many children s books today have been banned inschool libraries across the country, not for being detrimental to children s upbringing, but, mostfrequently, they are challenged because they contain curse words or violence, sex, homosexuality,the occult, or rebellious children. Staples states in her article, I was allowed to read what I liked[in my childhood]. It helped me to learn who I was and where I fit into the world. Banningbooks has become commonplace in the 1990s. From 1991 to 1994 the number of formaldemands for the removal of books from public and school libraries has increased by more than 50percent. (Staples 1) Among the most-banned books are some of the best-loved modern classics. In addition to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a list of the ten most-challenged titles for1994 compiled by the American Library Association includes Forever by Judy Blume, theNewbery Award-winning Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, The Chocolate War byRobert Cormier, Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories, and Scary Stories 3 byAlvin Schwartz, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Staples 1). While Staples arguesthat censorship has a hindering affect on the nations youth, David Miller points more positivesides of censorship. He elucidates on the issue of protecting, not just youth, but people of all agesfrom vulgarity, obscenity, and lack of refinement (Miller 103) He believes that the controversialtopics, language, or content of some books is a negative influence. However, between these twoextremes is what seems to be the most reasonable interpretation: Censorship is licit if it isexercised in moderation. (Miller 110) Robin Toner incorporates the two ideals of both Staplesand Miller and delves into how censorship must be neither excessively applied nor insufficientlyadministered. Most of the time, it is people s fear of reality that keep them from allowingthemselves to think and read. All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called HuckleberryFinn….It s the best book we ve had. (Vogelback 291) The tale of Huckleberry Finn, firstpublished in the United States 100 years ago this month, is so familiar it almost transcends itsroots. (Vogelback 292) Despite the place of honor Huckleberry Finn holds in Americanliterature today, controversy about the book has been brisk since its birth. In the19th and early20th century it was denounced as too vulgar for children. In our own time Twain s use of blackdialect, and the repeated references to blacks as niggers by the major characters, has led tocharges that Huckleberry Finn is a racist tract that stereotypes black people. Some havesuggested it be dropped from required readings for high school students. (Alford 132-133) The book was an immediate hit with the general public. By May of 1885 51,000 copieshad been sold and the publisher was quickly issuing more, but the reviews were less thenapproving. (Fischer 22) What critic Gore Vidal calls bookchat land was not amused by Huckleberry Finn. (Fischer 23) The Boston Transcript called the book flat as well as coarse. (Fischer 23) A New York publication decided on the sarcastic approach. A delicate piece ofnarration, wrote the prickly reviewer, by Huck Finn, describing his venerable and dilapidated pap afflicted with delirium tremens . . . is especially suited to amuse children on long rainyafternoons . . . (Fischer 24) It was the public library in Concord, Mass. that took the first move. In March 1885 theless-then-month-old book was banned as too crude and removed from public shelves. Committeemember and