Should Literature Be Taught In Schools

“Any school district that excludes books with references to sexuality will fail to introduce students to a broad range of canonical literature and will put them at a disadvantage relative to their peers” (Principal Lee Kolker.) Restricting the use of many extravagant books inside a classroom is preposterous. Not only will high-schooled aged children lose the marvelous wonders that Shakespeare and Steinbeck try to provide, the ability to use the messages from these passages will no longer be available. Books containing inappropriate material used in the classroom environment should be used, but with proper parent notification. All kinds of literature is found with R rated material inside them, yet they still propose an elaborate tale that shows

The oldest, well written novels are the ones with the true art found at heart. These pieces accurately describe and portray idealistic situations that many can relate to. Without the use of these fine works of art in schools, the reality of no longer receiving the most purposeful message imaginable is frightening and devastating. Although the books from old can be very graphic and R rated, they should still be allowed to be read in schools because of the message they provide. It is understandable that parents do not want their high-schooled age son or daughter to read these very graphic scenes, but what the parents do not see underneath these scenes are values used in everyday life. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” does indeed show graphic scenes including drug use and sexual acts, yet the underlying message is there. In Allie Hinga’s article, “Parents criticize use of ‘explicit’ novel in Dubuque school, ask for more safeguards” states, “While the protagonist in the story turns to drug use as a coping mechanism, it is clear that Stephen Chbosky’s message is that there are far better avenues for help.” This directly shows Chbosky is trying to relate to the teen society giving a message that could help many kids understand how to properly cope with hard

The work that Hempstead has thrown into their required reading list is in fact on the American Library Association’s list of top 100 banned and challenged books. This signifies that high-school aged children should not be allowed to read these types of books in school. Considering that “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Hempstead’s required read, is number ten on this list perfectly correlates with the fact that it should be banned. Obscenities in novels could enhance the reader to try those acts for themselves. “Assigning children pornographic material does not develop citizens of character; instead, it exposes children to sick and illegal behavior, seeking to normalize it” (Allie Hinga’s article.) In fact, allowing children to read these types of books lets children understand and propose ideas to their brains. These types of ideas are not ones one would want to allow their child to have. An example would be, in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” teen suicide, experimental drug use, and sexual acts are all proposed. Children can easily grasp the idea of these topics, especially when the author meticulously describes them. Behaviors in books can directly coincide with the behaviors in children after reading, creating a true statement that these types of books should be banned from young adult