Why Children’s Books Should Not Be Banned

Throughout history, humans have sought ways of conquering one another. For thousands of years, it was through brute force from tribal domination to the assimilation and colonization of entire cultures as civilization developed. Once a group of people achieved dominance over another group, they would then attempt to conquer them intellectually and spiritually, forcing upon them their beliefs, ideologies, religious practices, and customs. From the Romans' persecution of the early Christians to the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, this process has been repeated. However, with the Age of Enlightenment, a new approach to the beliefs of others was developed. This new way of thinking highlighted the beauty of the diversity of opinions and beliefs throughout humanity. It sought to create laws and new ways of living and behaving that would allow humans to accommodate a multitude of beliefs within a single society with people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds living side by side in peace and harmony. Unfortunately, in the more than two centuries since the Age of Enlightenment, there have been countless examples of humans struggling to come to terms with these new ideas. It seems it is a daunting task, indeed, to change psychological habits that flourished for thousands of years in only two centuries. In cultures throughout the world, groups of people divided by different religious and political beliefs still insist on imposing their beliefs on each other. In contemporary world culture, the education of children has become a new battleground for these beliefs and the intellectual and psychological development of children has suffered as a result.

In today's world, books and other media have replaced swords and guns as the weapons of choice for modern cultural warfare. And, instead of tribes, people in societies around the world have divided themselves into two groups: left-wing and right-wing. In most instances, the right-wing is a thinly disguised designation for the religious groups that have attempted to impose their beliefs on others for many centuries. The left-wing, on the other hand, generally represents people with a more "liberal" way of thinking as they attempt to uphold the ideals of the Enlightenment. However, in their quest for liberty and equality for all, they can often be just as overzealous and domineering as the right-wing conservatives. A prime example is a feminist attack on Roald Dahl's children's book, The Witches. In the book, Trust Your Children (West, 1997), Dahl outlines in an interview how feminist groups attempted to ban his book in England because in this fictional narrative, the narrator states that "a witch is always a woman" (West, 110). However, these feminists overlook the next line that follows, "a ghoul is always a male". In addition, they also overlook the fact that the grandmother in the story is, in fact, a very positive female figure. Such shortsightedness shows how beliefs can often act as psychological cataracts, blinding people to the objective facts of certain situations. If this way of thinking persists in society, it could only lead to utter confusion and conflict.

Of course, in the United States, such intellectual controversies and debates have thrived since the beginning of this nation. Unlike in England, it is often the voices of the right-wing conservatives that are heard most loudly when it comes to banning books. However, similarly to the feminist critique of Dahl's book, The Witches, in England, conservatives in the United States can also be quite shortsighted in their attacks. For instance, Katherine Patterson, famed author of The Bridge to Terabithia among other classics, has been a prime target of attack by Christian conservatives despite the fact that she, herself, is an outspoken and devout Presbyterian. Most ironically, her novel, The Great Gilly Hopkins, has been a Christian candidate for banning due to the fact that the main character behaves so sinfully at the start of the story. These attacks against this novel are ironic because Patterson insists it is a re-imagining of the redemption stories of the Bible such as ‘The Prodigal Son’. The main character of her story achieves redemption eventually, but before he accomplishes this feat, his fall from grace must, of course, be chronicled. To add to this, her beloved classic, The Bridge to Terabithia, has been criticized by right-wing conservatives for its sparse use of 'damn', 'hell' and 'Lord'. It is misguided to insist on shielding children and adolescents from the realities of human behavior and language use because of the detriment it may cause to their intellectual development. As Charles Taylor points out in Censorship (Nayaka, 2005), adults who want to shelter children from harsh realities are operating under a false assumption that children are either "too stupid or fragile" to deal with these issues.

It is vital that children and adolescents develop a well-rounded view of the world in which they live. As Taylor later highlights, some art can expose children to the "complex and contradictory nature of experience" (Nakaya, 40). Works of art and literature can act as training grounds in the development of critical and analytical thinking, intellectual skills that are just as important as mathematics and science in modern culture. Through art and literature, students can examine from an aesthetic distance the trials and foibles humans endure. Having been exposed to such stories, they are then able to create a picture in their minds of how they would want to behave and react in these situations. This is necessary for the development of a mature approach to oneself. In addition, students also can develop empathy for others from a well-rounded exposure to literature due to the fact that stories enable them to see the world through the eyes of others. However, if they are only exposed to a one-sided viewpoint such as that of a Christian conservative, then they will not be open to the beliefs others may have and may, therefore, see other people as enemies to be conquered. And, of course, this way of thinking may lead humanity back towards a barbaric way of thinking, erasing the progress so many have fought for since the Enlightenment.

The effect of writing on a society dominated by censorship can be devastating on the psyche of a writer. For example, in the years since the conservative attacks began on her work, Patterson has admitted that she now censors herself when working on new stories, questioning a scene or a piece of dialogue from her conservative attackers' viewpoint (West, 7). Dominic Cook echoes this sentiment in Censorship (2010) when he states that "a fear of offending has become so internalized and automatic that it isn't even noticed" (Barbour, 48). Most assuredly society suffers when writers and artists stifle their creative vision for the sake of others' political ideologies, making the experiences their work has to offer far less complex. Artists and writers create windows into the psyche and spirit of humanity and when these windows are not allowed to be opened freely, people lose a vital line of communication between each other. They are less able to understand each other emotionally and psychologically and, as a result, a sense of alienation inevitably develops.

In democratic societies, it is most important that citizens are able to think critically and logically in order to recognize and elect competent officials and political leaders. When the general public is uninformed and unable to think for themselves, they can easily become victimized by tyranny, propaganda, and dictatorship. Exposing children and adolescents to the full spectrum of humanity will enable them to recognize solutions to their society's problems that benefit everyone and not just segments of the population that insist that their way of thinking is the only correct way. Maintaining a well-rounded canon of children’s literature should be the goal of any society that wishes to thrive in this Age of Globalization. In this globalized world, children need to learn more than ever how to tolerate living with people who do not share their same political and religious beliefs or their same ethnic background. Parents who wish to see their children succeed in this world must fight for a multicultural body of children’s literature.

Works Cited

Barbour, Scott, editor, Censorship. Opposing Viewpoints Series. 2010, Greenhaven Press.

This book is a continuation of the 2005 series. However, it presents different arguments from that book and, instead, focuses on topics such as anti-Islamic views in the press, China's internet censorship and book banning in the United States. Following the format of the 2005 series, it also presents opposing views on these topics. Its chapter one focuses on censorship in the arts proves useful for my topic in that it provides an overview of opinions on the arts in general. In chapter four, it focuses on book banning in the United States which provides me with powerful insights on how to support my argument against the intellectually limiting aspects of book banning.

Nakaya, Andrea C., editor, Censorship. Opposing Viewpoints Series. 2005, Greenhaven Press

This book covers a range of topics revolving around censorship such as free speech, internet pornography, the Patriot Act and Iraqi media freedom. This book presents opposing arguments on these issues. It is a useful source for my topic in that it provides a general overview of the free speech debate in chapter two.

West, Mark I., Trust Your Children, Voices Against Censorship in Children's Literature, 1997 Palgrave Press

This book presents a range of interviews of authors, publishers and anti-censorship activists specifically on the topic of censorship in children's literature. It provides me with a wealth of information and commentary on the history and overall impact of censorship in children's literature. This source proves to be the most significant of all my references in light of the fact that it focuses extensively on my topic.