The Cost of Censorship Update to the Senior AVID Curricu-

THE COST OF CENSORSHIP

Examining the detrimental effects of the absence of literature

NATALIE CHEN | TANVEE SAI

opinions editor | social media manager

When used in the context of pedagogy, the word ‘censorship’ often conjures up visions of book-fueled bonfires: mountains of novels, textbooks and newspapers enveloped in ritualistic flames as crowds gather to watch. From the demolition of Aztec codices by King Itzcoatl in the 1430s to the Nazi Book Burnings of 1933, the practice dates back to the great civilizations of antiquity and prior. This incandescent association with censorship, while outdated, still holds weight, even as book banning has evolved throughout the centuries: There is no place for censorship in education. It will only lead to a lack of proper development and self-expression during a pivotal time for youth.

Implications in Education

The primary justifications for book banning center around explicit content deemed inappropriate for younger audiences. Although parental protection is reasonable, removing books from curriculums only prevents students from properly understanding complex subjects in literature. This argument rests on two premises: the impossibility of banning books and that attempting to “protect” children only deprives them of professional instruction.

Due to the infinite nature of the internet, book banning today holds purely symbolic meaning. Rather than a literal attempt to destroy writing, it serves as an outspoken opposition to the teachings of themes present in writing. In truth, challenging books only increases perusal, seen in the surge of popularity nationwide following the removal of Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust memoir, Maus, from McMinn County’s district curriculum.

If it is insurmountable to censor a book, the notion of limiting a child’s mind should be entirely out of the

DEPRIVING STUDENTS OF LITERATURE ONLY HINDERS THEM FROM KNOWLEDGE, NOT WRITING ITSELF. “ “

question. Banning books does not remove them from the hands of students—it displaces them from classroom environments and strips students of professional guidance by educators. When dealing with complex topics, students are left vulnerable to misconceptions on societal issues such as racism and inequality.

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D.

Salinger’s unorthodox interpretation of adolescent innocence perfectly captures the moral dilemma present in parental jurisdiction. Should the pristine naivety of youth remain unshattered, even at the expense of freedom? The answer is clear in Salinger’s writing: Towards the novel’s end, after attempting to protect his younger sister from the horrors of reality, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, realizes that she will inevitably be submerged into the harshness of adulthood and that his interventions might only traumatize her more, after living under excess protection bordering on falsity. With the established vanity of banning books comes the condemnation of the action itself. In all human beings are natural rights, defined in discourse by John Locke as the “law of nature” and in writing by the First Amendment. If perfect protection is inevitable, there is no excuse as to why literature should be redacted. To do so would simultaneously be fruitless and a violation of civil liberties.

“[W]ho kills a man kills a reasonable creature… but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself…” wrote John Milton in his book Areopagitica, a direct response to the Licensing Order of 1643 and an impassioned defense for freedom of speech. Milton’s words, alongside those of Rousseau, Ray Bradbury and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, continue to be uttered by defenders of self-expression as book banning efforts intersperse throughout history. Depriving students of literature only hinders them from knowledge, not writing itself. The rigidity of censorship alienates it from the ever-fluid development of society and should be reconsidered, at the very least, among parents concerned with the acerbity of school literature.

Implications in Identity

Being a student means learning about the real world and oneself. If students are shielded from content about the LGBTQ+ community and race, it stunts their awareness of these topics in relation to themselves. When books like Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante) are not accessible in classrooms, students lack guidance concerning these experiences. Teen literature containing content that relates to sexuality/ gender/racial identities motivates students to learn more about themselves and who they are. When readers see themselves through a character, they can learn similar lessons as them. If students cannot read about characters with similar identities, they cannot understand these lessons about themselves.

Theresa Filice, a Literature/Writing and Voices of Modern Culture teacher at Cupertino High School, stated that “[The Lit/Writ

team] thought “it was important to have a text that was reflective of an identity that a lot of students either personally can identify with or have friends and family that can identify with.”

Many students have been reluctant to read the novel due to rumors they had heard. Said Filice, “What’s tricky [about] any book that does center around aspects of identity, is students hear one thing and then it quickly spins out of control.”

When given books about identity,students tend to shift their focus onto the heavier or more mature concepts and focus on those instead of the overall lesson. Rumors like this cause stigmatization of the novel, which can then reach parents, who may have their own complaints.

In the case of Aristotle and Dante, the amount of parent backlash received has been small and decreases each year. However, student discomfort has also existed in the classroom, and Filice has tried her best to combat that feeling and open up discussions about it.

Said Filice, “We set the precedent that we want to have thoughtful conversations, and if you’re un-

comfortable, ask the question, but then be prepared to [...] think through that question.” One concept concerning reading about identity that is taught in Filice’s VMC class is the concept of ‘Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors.’ Coined by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the concept of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors is about reading books about identity and what they teach readers. When books are like windows, they open up a view of re WHEN READ- alities that have ERS SEE THEM- been unexplored SELVES THROUGH A by readers. They “ CHARACTER, THEY CAN LEARN SIMILAR LESSONS AS THEM. can become sliding glass doors that allow readers to participate in this reality. They can also be mirrors, in which they contain discussions about experiences that are then reflected onto the reader’s own experiences. Wrote Bishop, “When there are enough books available that can act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities because together they are what makes us all human.” When students are directed away from content related to identities, it stunts their knowledge and ability to reach their full potential and resonate with their own identities. Having access to books like Aristotle and Dante helps students view novels about identity as windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors, which provide questioning and curious students with the guidance they may need and provide them with a community and an environment that encourages discussions and transparency about identity OPINIONS | 13