What Factors motivate people and organizations to challenge and/or ban books?
There are many reasons why a person or organization may want to ban a book. Usually banning and challenging has to do with a group, person or organization being offended by the content of a book, so offended that instead of abstaining from reading the book themselves they feel the need to protect others from reading it as well. According to the Office of Intellectual Freedom, the top three reasons cited for challenging materials are:
1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
2. the material contained "offensive language"
3. the materials was "unsuited to any age group"
1. the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"
2. the material contained "offensive language"
3. the materials was "unsuited to any age group"
Why Challenge and/or ban
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Sexually Explicit |
Violence |
"He walks around my naked body, not touching me, but taking in every inch of it with his eyes." (Collins 87, The Hunger Games)
"I didn't realize until now how starved I've been for human closeness. For the feel of him beside me in the darkness." (Collins 244, Catching Fire) "In really bad times, the hungriest woudld gather at his door at nightfall, vying for the chance to earn a few coins to feed their families by selling their bodies." (Collins 114, Catching Fire) |
"Thresh brings the rock down hard against Clove's temple. It's not bleeding, but I can see the dent in her skull and I know that she's a goner." (Collins 373, The Hunger Games)
"I watched them being tortured to death. She was lucky. They used too much voltage and her heart stopped right off. It took days to finish him off. Beating, cutting off parts." (Collins 274, Mockingjay) |