By: Anna Streetman
This year, Kennesaw State played a part in promoting awareness of the dangers of censoring literature. On Sept. 24, students had their “mugshots” taken with a banned book at the library. A shelf nearby contained dozens of banned books students could pose with.
Every year, the American Library Association devotes a week to raise awareness about the potential harmfulness of censoring books. Each year, the ALA compiles a list of the top ten frequently challenged books. A challenge is defined as a “formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.” The number of challenges listed reflects only incidents that are reported. 5,099 challenges have been reported from 2000 to 2009. Reasons for challenges can vary from material being sexually explicit to material being homosexual or violent.
Some of the most popular names in book history have been challenged in the past. The “Harry Potter” series was at the top of the list from 2001-2003, the reasons cited being occult/Satanism, anti-family, religious viewpoints and violence. “Twilight” was also challenged back in 2009, citing religious viewpoints, sexually explicit material and being unsuitable for its age group.
The books included on the list for 2013 include very popular books such as “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins. The list also contains “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” The full list, along with more information on banned books, can be found on the ALA’s website, ala.org.
Madame, a senior French major, believes that some of the books being censored are unreasonable. “Books are getting banned for no reason other than someone saying ‘I don’t like this,’” Madame said. “Harry Potter” has been frequently challenged since it came out. “I can’t even understand something like ‘Harry Potter’ getting banned,” Madame said. “I feel like old people are convinced there’s something wrong with its morality because of the supposed ‘witchcraft’; when ‘Harry Potter’ was all about friendship, morality, and bravery. Plus, it’s well written.” Madame is a writer herself and as a writer, she believes in the importance of total freedom and opposes censorship. She says that she refuses to do readings of books and poems if people are going to censor them.
As a generation that is reading more than ever, it’s important to keep ourselves educated on what’s happening in the literary world. It’s also important to learn about censorship of books, whether you agree with it or not.
