5 Banned Books That Are Now Classics

This blog was originally posted on YulKaseman.wordpress.com

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Books have the ability to get readers to discuss and explore controversial topics that may otherwise be ignored. More often than not, books can cause uproar due to the nature of the topics surrounding, race, violence, profanity or sex.

Many parents, teachers, and schools call for censorship of these books requiring public places to put them on a banned books list. Although many books have made it to the banned list at one point or another, it has not stopped people from reading. Below you can find five classic and beloved novels that were once “banned”.

1984 By George Orwell (1949)

One of the most ironic bans that have taken place is 1984, a novel that focuses on themes of free speech and the invasion of privacy. Not only was this book banned to due sexual content, but on the grounds that is could be classified as “pro-Communist” propaganda.

The Grapes of Wrath By John Steinbeck (1939)

Steinbeck received a lot of backlashes once this book was published. Many even resulted to calling him a communist on the grounds that The Grapes of Wrath rejected the idea of American individualism. While this book was banned from many libraries, there were those who took it a step further and even burned the book.

The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger (1951)

In 2018, The Catcher in the Rye is read across schools countrywide. But in 1960, a teacher was fired for assigning the book to an 11th grade English class. Dozens of reasons were cited to ban this book including sexual scenes, vulgar language, excessive violence, and challenging morality.

The Color Purple By Alice Walker (1982)

Although this novel won a Pulitzer Prize, it is often fought against to have in schools. The books examine the lives of black women in the South during the 1930s. The book shares vivid depictions of violence, rape, incest, and even drug abuse.

Lord of Flies By William Golding (1954)

Centered around a group of boys surviving on a desert island, this book provides an allegorical exploration of the strains that exist in human civilization. Banned due to its sex, violence, and even racial slurs, the Lord of the Flies provides a harsh reality that humans can behave like animals.