Banned books in the US have become more common under the current Administration. Books with anti-religious, supernatural and political themes are some of the most commonly banned. With rules around them becoming more strict, limiting student’s access to books and knowledge.
“Historically, when we see governments mass ban books, it is because they are attempting to control the thoughts and actions of its citizens,” Jennifer Fey said. “That’s historically what we see. There’s a wonderful book, which is banned, that we read in sophomore year, which is 1984, where it talks about that issue…”
1984, a dystopian novel, follows Winston Smith. Smith is a member of the ruling Party in London, Oceania. But he rebels against the leader of Ociania; Big Brother. The book itself has themes of psychological control, propaganda, surveillance, and individualism being punished. It was challenged for those exact themes, just like many other books.
Along with banning books and limiting educational knowledge, the US has also banned books created for kids like “A Wrinkle in Time”, “James and the Giant Peach” and “Where the Wild Things Are”.
“If they’re made for kids, it doesn’t make any sense to ban these types of books, you know?” Freshman Scarlette McCleary said, “Maybe warn the parents: ‘Hey, this is what it contains,’ but don’t completely say, ‘Hey, you can’t have this at all.’”
To combat the books constantly being banned, the US developed “Banned Book Week”. Librarians across the US put banned books on display in their libraries for students to read.
“I personally think that’s an amazing idea to actually spread these banned books that have been banned for no valid reason, letting kids and teens, pretty much everybody, experience what people have taken away.” McCleary says.
But even after all of the banning and controversy, the government has a hard time keeping every banned book off library shelves and school curriculums. Every high schooler in Comal ISD reads at least four banned books in class by the time they graduate. On top of that, kids have unlimited access to the exact thing the government and parents are trying to ban.
“‘But what’s the funniest thing?” Fey said. “The majority of what some parents don’t like that y’all are reading, they’ve actually given it to you. It’s on your phone. Yeah. Unmitigated, uncontrolled, full access to anything, and that I think is the real problem. Not a book.'”
