Comparing The Catcher In The Rye And Farenheit 451

What do The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fahrenheit 451 all have in common? Libraries around the United States have banned these highly popular books. Libraries and schools in different states ban material that is “inappropriate” to students for a variety of reasons. The fundamental reason that teachers and librarians ban books is to protect students from facing challenging or difficult ideas. Some people believe that banning books is a convenient thing and helps the students, where as other individuals believe book banning is an unfavorable idea and this action has a negative effect on a society. Book banning is unacceptable because librarians and teachers ban the text for their content, and not for their effect on students.

Not only will this limit the student’s freedom, but their imagination as well. A new world is discovered in reading, whether it is a non-fictional or a creative fictional world. Taking this away from the students can limit their creativity and imagination a book can offer (Graff). According to Mark Hemingway, many parents still do not seem to grasp the idea that the problem of needless confrontational children’s entertainment is now present in text too, and not just on television. Hemingway also states that children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries. It should be up to the parents to decide what material their children are exposed to and when the time is appropriate . Hemingway also says that authors should just simply avoid controversial topics to avoid further complications. (Hemingway). According to Robert W. Seney, reading the material from current or previously banned books in a class means that teachers may have to deal with some difficult issues and therefore might become uncomfortable in openly discussing topics that may be potentially sensitive or embarrassing. Seney also states that parents should have the right to choose the selection of literature for their children. Parents should challenge books only after they understand the learning objectives or purpose of the piece of literature (Seney). However, Free Access to Libraries for Minors reads, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources” (“Banned and Challenged Books”). Along with that statement, Supreme Court Justice, William J. Brennan Jr., in Texas v. Johnson said, “If there is a bedrock principle