Yet I believe that this book, “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier, should be kept in schools to be read by teenagers. Many people believe that this book should be banned for the fact that it talks about bullying and violence. In a couple parts of the story, Jerry is beaten up. There are also multiple parts where the Vigils or Janza bully a kid. But that isn’t so bad that we should ban it.
Debating the Banning of a Great Novel Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, is responsible for the controversy caused by the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This novel has been banned in many high schools across the nation for the foul language applied and the sentiment it brings to those who may relate to it. Yet many are unaware that the purpose of the novel is not to bring about resentment but to appeal the reader to the circumstances in which the characters lived. Some disregard the notice at the beginning of the novel, which contains an explanation for the dialect used. Many choose to find a plot in the novel, although the author clearly states that the novel purposely lacks a plot.
Should Huckleberry Finn be banned from high school curriculum? There has been and, most likely, always will be much controversy over The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being taught in high schools all over America. This book has been under pressure ever since it was published in 1885. To some individuals, the novel is considered one of the best enduring American classics that we have today that is a very important part of our history, and to others it is thought of as a worthless piece of racist trash that only educates children that cheating, lying, stereotyping/discriminating, incorrect grammar and foul language are acceptable behaviors in society. Many people believe that the degrading and disturbing term “nigger” is used unnecessarily and superfluously throughout the novel while others say that it only brings to light the punitive reality of our history.
“Bullying is a big problem that effects millions of students, and it has everyone worried, not just the kids on it’s receiving end” (Lyness 1). Bullying does not just affect kids, but the parents too. It affects the parents because a lot of their children begin to be afraid attending school. In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda was affected by being bullied lead her to think about suicide, scared of coming to school, and victims like Melinda begin to not care about school and fail. Melinda was affected by being bullied and led to many things and one of them is thinking about suicide.
Readers could argue that Twain’s main point of the novel was to be offensive. But either way, he did just that. Times have changed and that word has no longer become an acceptable word for people to use. Most African American students grew up being taught that it was a horribly offensive word, and to never use it. So with that being said, many students could feel uncomfortable hearing it at school.
To Whom It May Concern: Do you want your children and students getting an extra dosage of vulgar language, sexually rated scenarios, and issues that are awful enough to cause depression? In the book The Catcher in the Rye all of these issues are present. Everything from filthy language written on walls, to the purchase of a prostitute, all of this is present in this novel. This book is not helping solve the issues that teenagers are facing in these days. That is why it should be banned from schools across the country.
Foul and harsh language is used in dialogue and in Conrad’s thoughts in the novel as well. All of these topics and areas of the novel have been targeted as reason for censorship in schools around the country. Many parents feel that the use of ‘bad language’ encourages it. Also, the talk and description of sex encourages, even condones such behavior. Some parents have argued Coffman, 2 that the
Many believe that this book displays a negative and inappropriate view on racism that is too coarse for a high school environment. The main African American, Jim, is portrayed as dim-witted, slow, and overly superstitious which is one of many racist aspects of the book. Another controversy within the novel is the use of the “n-word” over two hundred times and it can make many of the students, teachers, and parents feel uncomfortable in a classroom and thus they think that the book be banned. Although some people do not want this novel taught in the classroom, Huckleberry Finn should be taught in a school setting under certain conditions because it teaches the valuable aspects of life such as the negative effects of racism, characteristics of religion and life in that time. Although this novel should be taught to high school students there are people that oppose teaching the book because of its crudeness and inappropriateness.
The classroom of today has been transformed into a variable war zone. Teachers are forced to walk on eggshells at all times or risk being fired because of an enraged parent or possibly a student that felt mistreated because an author used the word “nigger.” Some students get the idea that they are being persecuted because of the material they are being taught. To some, it seems that people seem to look for an excuse to be offended and take action against whoever they feel needs to be punished for reading a book. Teachers are now doing their jobs with both hands tied and children are at a disadvantage because of it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is written by a master of satire, Mark Twain, who uses his characters to reflect the world’s happenings around him.
Other phrases and words they go on to use are; “drag-out fight”, “sits alone in the principals office”, “tears streaming”, “By power, we mean differences in strength, confidence, status or aggressiveness”, “gender-related”, “a bullied student is a terrorized youth” and lastly “breaking the bullying cycle”. These quotes from the article have so much emotion in them they make you feel fro the seven you old, or better yet all kids who get bullied. It makes you want to put a stop to it immediately. The writers used logos in the paper also. They quoted several people; Dan Olweus a forerunner in bullying research and prevention, Dr. Jessie Klein and Astor Meyer and Behre.