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When Was The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Banned

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky throws you into the reality of high school, where every emotion feels intense, and every experience shapes who you are. This book captures this journey through the eyes of Charlie, a freshman who shares his deepest thoughts and struggles through letters. This book explores themes of friendship, mental health, and identity. However, this book is surrounded by controversy, arguing that these themes are unsuitable for young readers and could send the wrong message. I believe that this book should be banned because it contains sexually graphic and explicit content. In addition, this novel glorifies underage alcohol and drug use. These mature themes have led the book to appear on banned and challenged …show more content…

In 2008, it was disputed on the Commack High School (NY) summer reading list due to content because the novel contains a two-page rape scene, which critics described as “biased sexual rhetoric and instructional sexual pandering to children” (Wolf Baldassarro). One scene includes disturbing quotes unsuitable for young readers, including the passage: “The boy kept working up the girl's shirt, and as much as she said no, he kept working it” (Chbosky 30). In 2023, the book was banned and challenged for its sexual abuse, LGBTQIA+ content, drug use, profanity, and being sexually explicit. A grandmother of a high school senior requested that the book and movie no longer be used in an elective course on film and literature. She said that the book included “pornographic material, containing sexual abuse, teenage sexuality, rape, abortion, and LSD.” While she said she did not read past page 31, she argued “that was plenty.” She said her desire to ban the book from the school is not “just about my grandchildren. It’s about all the children. It scares me to think how many girls may have been date raped because of the guys that read that book” (Marshall Libraries). In 2019, a parent in the Beaverton School District criticized it as a "trash novel" with poor role models and graphic descriptions. In 2017, this book became banned from Pasco (FL) Middle School because a teacher assigned it to seventh-graders. Parents complained that this book was not suitable for their age groups. A parent expressed concern that the book could harm students by sending children the "wrong" message on these difficult and mature topics (Marshall Library). After these complaints, they arranged to have a panel discussion which was then organized to discuss the book. At the panel discussion, 13 parents expressed their worries

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Parents were going into schools demanding books be taken off the shelves because of language, sexuality and “lack of moral.” Book banning satisfied their need to feel in control of their kids lives. I found myself at the center of the storm, said Judy. Her books were being challenged daily, often put on restricted shelves.

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the content of the non-fiction novel, which detail the brutal murder of a prosperous Kansas farmer and his family are apparently too macabre for some…” (latimes.com). In Savannah, Georgia parents also were the cause for the book to be banned in an English Advanced Placement class, “... a parent complained that it contained sex, violence, and profanity” (weebly.com). This book was mainly challenged by parents because they believed their children were not yet mature enough to handle the book’s

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Throughout the course of his article, “How Do They Do It” Chris Crutcher argues that the school systems should not take books that are relatable and significant to students out of the curriculum because of parents or un-educators urging them into censoring books with no proof of wrong effects on the students. Crutcher makes his argument through the use of his personal experiences, prejudice or biased opinion, and allusion throughout the article. When making his argument Crutcher uses his personal experience and observations to show the effects censoring his book had on the students and teachers in the school. Crutcher’s book, Whale Talk, was censored by the school system in a school in Fowlerville, Michigan after one parent complained for disturbing

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Teens experience a variety of situations outside of school and by banning them from reading this book is unnecessary. We shouldn’t hinder them from learning the possible havoc of having this

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Blei’s argument, as to why banning the book is counter productive, is very insightful. While other critics argue that the profanities in the book should be ignored when considering banning the book, Blei accepts the profanities and points out that there are a multitude of other ways for kids to be exposed to such things in their

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but that just like movies parental guidance is suggested so it makes sense that it should be banned but not for someone older who wouldn’t get distracted from the overall message. Child molestation is another reason this book was banned. Jeannette Walls talks about living with different relatives of the family and one of them attempting to do stuff with her and another time trying to do stuff with her little brother. It is made clear in the book that this wasn’t acceptable behavior on the adults part so I understand and agree that it isn’t for those younger than the age of sixteen.

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This book has won several awards, in 1999 the National Book Award Finalist; in 2000 it won the Michael L. Printz, and the Coretta Scott-King award. Despites its many awards it has also been challenged and banned in many different school districts because parents didn’t think it was appropriate for their children to read. According to Dean 2013, states “Seven D97 families filed a request with the district last month to have the book removed. A "request for reconsidering" can be made under board policy, which deals with educational materials deemed "offensive or controversial. " The policy also calls for an internal committee to be convened to review such materials”.

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Schools that have sexually appropriate books are starting to get banned due to the sexual content. The book is about a 17 year old that is sexually active and proud’ “The story opens up with girls in the bathroom talking graphically about his sex life”. Again sexual context and it was being overused and the main topic was sex. “The sexual content of the book is immediate and is majority about his sex life”.that

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The book was banned and removed from the shelves of several Mason City Community School District, Iowa, for “sexual content.” Mason City Community School Districts in Iowa would later reinstate the book along with other challenged titles after backlash from using ChatGPT to review the books. I disagree with the challenges and the bans of this book. Firstly, the “sexual content” is a strange one to me, there are no sexual scenes in the book. The characters never do anything more sexual than kiss.

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“Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance .

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The topics in this book are not cheerful; they do not elicit a warm, happy feeling for the reader. What they are is legitimate. So many teenagers deal with depression, or abuse, or hiding their sexual orientation. By banning books that

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but the book has also sparked wild discussions about its content and if it should be taught in schools across the country. Although The Catcher In The Rye presents strong sexual themes and vulgar language, these aspects showcase the characters ' deepest emotions while staying true to the human experience and the power of language. The very same issues that cause the catcher in the rye to climb the banned book list, sexual themes and vulgar language, are exactly the things that make this piece worth teaching in high school curriculums, as they show readers the truest

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In other words, people using harsh words against others proves to show dominance and the ability to bring down one’s confidence. As well as the reader being able to relate if someone has used the harsh language towards them and feeling overwhelmed. As a result, vulgar language is considered not appropriate for young adults to read because it is able to change their perspectives and is able to bring down their confidence. Another reason why the novel was banned in many school districts was due to the demonstration of police brutality and how it changed the young minds to think differently about police. For instance, everyone believes there are two sides of the story, but chooses to pick one side due to fear or being

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“Using profanity was against school policy and having the book in the library made newly elected school board member, Larry McDonald, feel uncomfortable.”

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The story, “Where is here?” I'll explain back story of the visitor's flashbacks of the house. Firstly, The visitor starts out In the yard walking around the property and wonders out to the swingset. The father said, “He's gone to the old swings.” The visitor looked as if he used to swing a lot on the swingset with his sister back 40 years ago.

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