The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.
The concept of a government banning certain books, ideas, and themes seems rather dystopian and far from the judgment that the United States of America was founded on. However, book bans are real.
They are present in our current society, and they threaten the future of certain types of literature. But what do book bans mean for the general public? How will we be affected? To answer this, we must examine exactly what these book bans entail.
The concept of book bans is not new. In fact, book bans date back to ancient times when emperors would burn books and execute free-thinking scholars in order to consolidate power.
The purpose of this concept is simple: by preventing education on controversial topics, you prevent the development of mindsets against your own. If everyone thinks the same way, then it is easier to gain support and power over others.
Book bans have been practiced by the Qin Dynasty, Roman Empire, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, and more. Due to their imposing nature, most modern-day Americans view book bans as foreign concepts and as something they don’t have to worry about.
However, it cannot be emphasized enough that book bans exist within American society; we just need to pay closer attention to the functioning of our government.
In fact, book bans have drastically grown in America during recent years. According to PEN America, “the amount of books banned over the past three years rivals the number of those banned during the McCarthy era of the 1950s.”
Similarities exist between the current state of America and the McCarthy era of the 1950s—growing political agitation, unrest, and paranoia from American citizens. Politicians, therefore, attempt to gain mass control over their citizens by controlling their access to knowledge.
Without varying sources of information, people cannot grow their mindsets or develop opposing beliefs. Simply put, conformity is the goal of book bans.
PEN America said that since 2021, it has documented nearly 16,000 instances of book bans nationwide. And there will continue to be more as President Donald Trump signed an executive order to combat offensive and anti-American race and sex stereotyping, scapegoating, and the teaching of “divisive concepts” in the federal workforce or armed forces. So, what does this mean for us?
Essentially, this means that we are experiencing censorship firsthand. In schools, where children were once meant to be exposed to an array of concepts that grow their perspective, they are now limited based on what our government considers to be “divisive” material.
The concept of “divisive material” is undeniably subjective. However, based on Trump’s executive order, this includes topics concerning gender identity, racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
These vague categories engulf great amounts of subject matter and are main themes found within many influential books, from The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Though it’s hard to imagine such influential works being banned, Atwood’s novel contains political themes exploring sexism and oppression. Thomas’ more recent work explores racial inequality and police brutality. These themes fall under the umbrella of “oppression” and could very likely be banned from new readers.
Additionally, book bans can vary based on your state and hometown governments, not just from the federal government. Many neighborhoods are already experiencing book bans much more frequently than others.
According to the 19th News, Ayanna Mayes (a librarian at Chapin High School in South Carolina) is speaking out about books by Black and queer authors being “purged from the shelves of the library.” All of these unique, important viewpoints are lost for the students at Chapin High School. Books are literally being taken off the shelves.
Book bans are real, and they are occurring here and now. Because of this, it is vitally important to educate yourself. By understanding historic examples of book bans, we can better understand their goals in the future.
We know how important access to knowledge is. True education is supported through understanding the experiences and stories of those who write books. So, while you are able to, educate yourself on varying perspectives. Use them to develop mindsets that are uniquely your own.
This way, regardless of which books may be banned in the future, you will continue to be an independent, free-thinking individual.
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