From Sappho to Salinger: A Contempary Guide To Banned Books (And Why You Should Read Them)

[jayden_g]

Our need for stories goes unstated as an essential biological craving. We’re born learning from them, falling asleep to them, and making our own while we do. Yet just as potent throughout history, though more shameful, is our undeniable desire to censor them.

In 2023, over 3,000 instances of book bans were recorded, with most consisting of content with LGBTQ+ themes or themes of racial inequality. These bans are put in place by politicians who aim to limit the literature that children and teens have access to, often overriding the curriculum curated by librarians, teachers, and parents.

Yet this phenomenon is far from new, with government-sanctioned book burnings dating back to 213 BC, bans dating back to the 1600s, and countless more incidents in the history of nearly any totalitarian government. It's nearly a testament to the necessity of literature in our society, that such a simple act of ink on paper can be deemed so dangerous.

Though it is easily argued that book bans should be validated for protecting school libraries from inappropriate or explicit content, it’s important to note that most books that become banned are done simply because they present a viewpoint that conflicts with the political or cultural views of the state government, as seen by the mass banning of LGBTQ+ and Indigenous literature.

As upsetting as America’s and the world's larger history of book burning and banning is, the perseverance through censorship and into social acceptance make a case for the celebration of wrongfully banned literature. Seeing that the ability to recognize ideas and experiences that differ from your own makes you not only a stronger reader but a more well-rounded individual.

In celebration of banned literature, here are some once-banned titles that open the door to social and cultural tolerance, expanding unconsciously made acceptions of right and wrong.


Fragments- Sappho

Sappho's poems and fragments explore themes of love, desire, and the complexities of human emotions while challenging societal norms and elevating the voices of women in ancient Greece.

Burned for: "Lesbian/erotic imagery"


The Bluest Eye- Toni Morrison

The novel follows a young black girl named Pecola who believes blue eyes would make her more beautiful and socially acceptable.

Banned for: “Disturbing language, underlying communist agenda”


The Master and Margarita- Mikhail Bulgakov

The book is about the devil's visit to the Soviet Union, and in exploring the meaning of good and evil, satirizes Soviet politics

Banned for: “immorality/ depictions of female power and sexuality"



Catcher In the Rye: J.D Salinger

The book follows Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy who has been expelled from prep school as he wanders around New York.

Banned for: "Violence/extreme language"

[LanDroid]

BookTalk discussed The Master and Margarita several years ago. (Sorry, I personally couldn't get into that one, it probably went over my head.)

I read Catcher in the Rye in high school, have been meaning to re-read it assuming my take will be completely different.

Would Sappho be of interest to an old straight dude?