The Outsiders Should Not Be Banned Essay

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The captivating story of Ponyboy Curtis and the rivalry between the greasers and the socs has been praised and loved by many for years because of its accurate depiction of what it's like to be a teen, unfortunately this novel has been banned by many schools across the country. The Outsiders should not be banned at Astoria High School. This novel should not be banned because teens are mature enough to handle any mature content this book has, it is a classic book that many enjoy and that students should be able to experience, and banning this book is unnecessary censorship and pushes beliefs onto others.

Teens are mature enough to handle the indelicate content presented to them in The Outsiders. By high school or middle school age, most teens have been exposed to the content being labeled as inappropriate in The Outsiders through other forms of media. Nowadays, music, TV and movies all can contain material more impolite than what we see in The Outsiders. The author of “Banned Books Awareness: The Outsiders” …show more content…

The Outsiders is definitely a novel with some political commentary. Ponyboy wonders, “What kind of world is it where all I have to be proud of is a reputation for being a hood, and greasy hair? I don’t want to be a hood, but even if I don’t steal things and mug people and get boozed up, I’m marked lousy...Why should I even pretend to be proud of it?” (132). Statements like these along with other topics discussed in the novel, are important for teens to know the reality of. The book has been banned for its portrayal of subjects like drugs, drinking, and violence, but banning the book because of these topics pushes the belief that if kids don’t know about something, they won’t try it. This belief is not shared by everyone though, banning the book for that reason pushes political ideals onto people who may not support