Catcher in the Rye. 1984. It always comes as a shock when you find out one of your favorite (or not-so-favorite) books was once banned in the United States. Banning books is still a bit of a touchy topic; it’s technically a form of censorship, yet it’s not entirely protected by the first amendment. The federal government is no longer involved in banning books, but many local communities continually ban books each year. With Banned Book Week coming to an end, we’ve decided to round up the classics of American Literature and we encourage you to give them a second read.
1. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
It comes as a shock to learn that To Kill a Mockingbird is still technically a banned book. It’s banned for many reasons, not excluding vulgar language and references to rape throughout its entirety. Which may seem a bit ironic, given that one of the novel’s key themes is a loss of innocence. Some may see it as offensive or inappropriate, but it’s a great book that highlights the issues of race in America.
2. “Howl” – Allen Ginsberg
“Howl” isn’t a book, but it’s a great poem written at the height of Beat Generation in the 1950s. The poem discussed issues of sexuality, depicted capitalism as an evil entity and negatively commented on life in America. “Howl” was actually seized by police in San Francisco and banned for obscenity; following a court case a year later, the ban was lifted. If you haven’t read the poem yet, drop everything and do it—it’s worth it.
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was actually banned within its first month of publication back in ’85—1885, that is. Many felt that the Huck and Jim’s vernacular had too many grammatical errors, along with the issues of being inappropriate for children by depicting dishonesty and using the N-word. Though the book is now taught in schools, there are still problems surrounding its portrayal of race and its politically incorrect language.
4. Animal Farm – George Orwell
You’ve most likely read this book in your high school English class, laughing at talking animals; I’ll admit, I thought of The Muppets while reading it. However, Animal Farm is much more than talking animals. The book plays off the events leading up to the Russian Revolution, criticizing Stalin’s government. It was banned for its intensive criticism, and is still actually banned in North Korea and Vietnam today.
5. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
While most books on our list were published years ago, The Hunger Games is a fairly new addition to the banned books list. The book series has been challenged for its offensive language, as well as being extremely violent and referencing cult culture. The series isn’t banned throughout the states, but many small towns have refused to stock it in their public libraries. The Hunger Games series teaches valuable lessons throughout, so fingers crossed Katniss’ story can one day be read in Small Town, USA.