Modern Day Censorship: Nothing is a Coincidence
Tyra Alexander
18 March 2024
EN*499
Dr. Ellis
Modern Day Censorship: Nothing is a Coincidence
After reading the two articles by Mullally and Ringel, I have concluded that when it comes to book banning and censorship, there’s a greater agenda at hand– an agenda greater than the one book banners claim these challenged books have. Since the beginning of time, the ideologies of white American life have been posed on marginalized groups. From Jim Crow to the term “American Dream”, society has been conditioned to only uplifting a certain narrative. We saw this in the 1900s in Ads for Sunlight Soap and Lawn Jockeys. And now we see it today in children’s literature. As stated in the Ringel article, ‘classic’ children’s literature only highlights the faces of white heroes and their stories; whether it be about a young girl with crazy pigtails or about a group of siblings who find a secret world in an old wardrobe. And as whimsical these books are, one can argue that they totally fit the conservative literature motives that are imposed in society.
Moreover, I believe it is interesting, yet dangerous that the umbrella of book banning fits many categories. For example, when someone thinks of “banned children’s books” they may think of narratives similar to Nikki Grimes’ “Bronx Masquerade” or Telgemeir’s “Drama” that feature marginalized characters. However, with coveted series such as Harry Potter and Nancy Drew, one can question– why the hell are these banned? From my experience as a bookseller and library intern, my answer to that question is that everything in the world of book marketing is deliberate. From the titles that are included on the shelves at the library to the displays at the front of Barnes & Noble, nothing is a coincidence– for the most part. A lot of people’s reasonings for challenging a book simply comes from their personal beliefs. However, in order to actually make action happen, they often use language and rhetoric that leans towards a popular political belief (Example: ‘LGBTQ Themes’, ‘Anti-Police propaganda’). Therefore by doing this, they appeal more to the person in charge.
In my opinion, I think that these reasons for banning are carefully curated to push a further agenda that I believe is simply unachievable. By banning books that have marginalized characters, it's not going to make those people go away. But, it makes for a dangerous upbringing for those who are marginalized and those who are apart from the majority.
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