How Should Of Mice And Men Be Banned

The Controversy In Of Mice and Men Ursule K. Le Guin once said, “A dangerous book will always be in danger from those it threatens with the demand that they question their assumptions. They’d rather hang on the assumptions and ban the book” (Norman). This ideology has been present throughout history as books are banned every year. However, the statement, made by Le Guin is shown to be especially prominent in the 1970’s when the novella Of Mice and Men was banned by multiple communities. The novella was banned for many reasons with the most prominent being derogatory remarks used towards those with mental handicaps. Despite being banned for derogatory remarks towards the mentally handicapped, the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The minorities included were African Americans, women, and particularly the mentally disabled. Many parents urged their children's schools to ban the book when making comments such as, “worthless, profanity-riddled book…derogatory towards African Americans, and the developmentally disabled” (“Banned Books 2022 - Of Mice and Men”). As the novella progresses it’s apparent that people with mental handicaps are depicted as a danger to society. This illustration is what fabricated parents view, that the novella is treacherous towards their children's innocence. This viewpoint is perceived as though the parents are afraid their children might pick up on bad behaviors from Of Mice and Men. Some of the behaviors most feared are that the children will wrongfully characterize those with mental disabilities, leading to possible hateful or crude actions, such as the ones present within the novella. With consideration of this viewpoint, one could understand why parents fear their children reading the novella Of Mice and Men because of their negative depictions of

This particular party of people feels that these depictions allow readers to be educated on the wrongdoings of the past, and can help prevent a repeat in history. Shauna Smith explains, “It is a book that provides a snapshot of America; although this snapshot is not indicative of the entire country, it is still based in truth and reality…by banning the book, we are effectively stating that the events that occur within it are either untrue, taboo, or preposterous. These are exactly the types of topics that need to be discussed openly” (Jade Davis). Topics loaded with heavy content need to be explained to younger generations so that they may understand why certain actions have negative impacts on society. Kids are taught about slavery in school so that they can learn from mistakes in history and not repeat them. This is why parents as well as teachers push for Of Mice and Men and books similar to these not to be banned. They fear that the withdrawal of books that discuss subjects of the past will take away children’s opportunity to learn from the nation's mistakes. One can conclude that the banning of Of Mice and Men is harmful to society because it takes away learning