Sana Zaidi
MA English, Semester – III
Censorship in Dystopian Novels
According to Wikipedia “Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other such entities.”
The very first line of the given definition contradicts the basic human right, The Right to Speech. However, it justifies the violation as it is read further. It is violated for the safety of the government and most probably for the protection of the citizens as well.
Despite of the explanation for the existence of the censorship it is important for the citizens to have an idea of what is being censored.
What is being censored?
A book? A photograph? A report? A person? An event? Or our entire history?
Who is carrying out the censorship?
Why?
For whose benefit?
What will happen if it is not censored?
It is only human to carry these thoughts in your mind; otherwise you are just another sheep in the herd walking without knowing where!s
In the history of our civilization it has always been the writers initiating the efforts to acquaint the society with the real world, without worrying of the consequences. Great philosophers have been defying censorship from time immemorial. Socrates was sentenced to drink poison in 399 BC for promoting his philosophies, while Plato advocates censorship in his essay on The Republic.
Two of the