Books have been banned in schools and libraries throughout the United States for centuries. They have been banned for reasons such as negativity, racism, sexual explicitness, and offensive language, all of which you see in Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". As seen on page 25, Junior, the main character, says "I spend hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has one thousand pictures of naked movie stars...". This is one of the many controversial quotes in the book. Although this book contains material that angers and offends many, I still believe that it should not be banned. Many are convinced that by banning Alexie's novel, they will protect the youth of America. Shielding children from the real world is not protecting them. This book is simply educating young adults on the real life that most native Americans live and endure. In an interview, the author said "Almost every day, my mailbox is filled with handwritten letters from students—teens and pre-teens—who have read my book and loved it. I have yet to receive a letter from a child somehow debilitated by the domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder contained in my book." This goes to show that almost all people reading his novel have been exposed to the things …show more content…
Many children who have read the book agree that it greatly helped with preparing for freshman year of high school. Taking away a this book from public libraries and schools wouldn't be fair to the readers who feel comfort from reading it. The first Amendment of the United States Constitution states that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable, so not only is banning "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" morally wrong, it is also