Banned Books
"The Bible, encyclopedias, and dictionaries contain the same terms, should they be banned?" was stated on the Oprah Show of the "inappropriate" terms in some of the challenged books in schools. Books around the country (and world for that matter) have been challenged by many parents and in some instances banned from schools due to content the parents feel is inappropriate for their children. For example, several books have been banned on the basis that they promote and/or encourage profanity, explicit material, and homosexuality. Banning and censorship of these books is morally wrong because it can be seen that the children will, without a doubt, learn the material at some point in their life whether by word of mouth or the Internet. Also, as given to them in the first amendment, these authors have the freedom of speech to state what they want in the books. In the instance of the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, censorship of the book is unethical since it teaches good childhood lessons, entertains boys and girls, and presents superstition to assist in educating children through themes.Those who oppose Twain's Tom Sawyer argue that it presents poor role models to American youth, but in actuality it teaches them beneficial ch
Similarly, opponents argue that Tom Sawyer is a "Communist" and "subversive" book, but it's recurring incidences of wrongdoings are meant to be entertaining to boys and girls and not cause them to want to overthrow the government. The many crimes committed in the novel range from minor childhood transgressions (playing hooky) to capital offenses (murder). Though one may feel that the "murder" aspect of the book is inappropriate, murder is one thing easily found on TV and being set 200 years ago, the book depicts ways of murder no longer used. The games the boys prefer center on crime, giving them a chance to explore the boldness and heroism involved in breaking social expectations without actually threatening the social order. The two scenes in which Tom plays Robin Hood, being both a criminal and a hero, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, are emblematic of how Tom associates crime with defending values, altering the structure of society (SA). The boys mention again and again their admiration for the circus life and their desire to be clowns when they grow up. The purpose of these references is to emphasize the innocence with which they approach the world. Rather than evaluate the real merits and shortcomings of the various occupations they could realistically choose, they like to imagine themselves in roles they find romantic or exciting. The wrongdoin
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Approximate Word count = 925
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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