Red Badge Of Courage Banned

The decision to ban books has been a highly debated topic in the United States, especially amongst parents who are concerned about what their children are exposed to in literature. Many of these controversial books are important works of literature that should be available to students. Although many people have contended that the book The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane should be banned due to violent content, the book is an accurate and relatable story of the struggles of a young soldier in an important American war. First, The Red Badge of Courage covers topics that are very relatable to the trials teenagers of the twenty first century experience on a regular basis. The story surrounds issues like overcoming fears, learning from mistakes,

Writing for Luther College, Megan Creasey states, "since aggression is a naturally occurring feeling in all humans, it seems ridiculous to expect that barring violence from children's books would cease this urge" (Creasey). Kids and teenagers should not be hidden from the exposure of violence in literature when there is a purpose to it, such as the realistic war violence in The Red Badge of Courage. Simply removing violence from literature such as this classic, would not decrease aggression in teens. Creasey also quoted Christina Moustakis who has widely published for Johns Hopkins University on the issue of violence in literature. She believes, "many children already experience violence in their own lives, or will in the future, and having literature that reflects this violence and shows them how to successfully cope in violent scenarios can be invaluable" (Moustakis). The violence in this book is witnessed by an eighteen year old young man fighting in the Civil War. Henry Fleming is a young private in the Union Army, who worries about his courage and deserts his regiment. He grapples with emotions of cowardice and ultimately returns to his regiment and returns to battle. Through The Red Badge of Courage, teenagers can see how

It is important for students to learn about the Civil War as it was a critical turning point in America's history, and this is a unique picture of that war. Although Stephen Crane was a young man born after the Civil War and without any battle experience, many critics assumed that he had personal experience in the Civil War because of the book's accuracy and detail. In fact, many historians note that the details depict the very real Battle of Chancellorsville. Author of the novel Necessary Errors, Caleb Crain, opines, "The heart of [Stephen Crane's] realism…is psychological rather than photographic. As a contemporary critic put it, 'He stages the drama of war, so to speak, within the mind of one man, and then admits you as to a theatre'". The descriptions in the book draw in the reader on an emotional level. They are very accurate, and therefore, educational. Author and former University of Vermont professor, James W. Loewen, discusses the importance of educating students on the Civil War as he addresses the problem that "teaching the Civil War wrong cedes power to some of the most reactionary forces in the United States" (Loewen). He believes it is important to teach about the War in fullness because not doing so "dictates" how we think and what we say. It is important to be knowledgeable on the great moments of America's history from many different