Argument Essay

Kaitlyn Duong 

Ms.Galang

English 811

December 18, 2014

       Banning Books: Unconstitutional but Worth Breaking

Freedom of speech is expressed in the first Amendment in the Constitution. No freedom of speech is expressed in the act of book censorship. Carrie by Stephen King has been a frequently questioned book since the time it was published. The story about a girl, that performs a horrific act on her whole town with her telekinetic powers, was written about 40 years ago, yet it is still being challenged today.  Banning books threatens our rights in the first amendment. However, when these books contain content that parents may not like their kids reading, they should have the right to prevent their children from reading it since they have custody over their child. Therefore, banning books such as Carrie should be allowed. Although the text includes informative content for teens, middle school students should not have access to it due to its use of sex and explicit language.

        Most importantly, middle schoolers should not have access to the book because it uses sex in a way that doesn’t express its true meaning- love. It uses sex to show rape and a way to distract people. Sex is so commonly shown, that it doesn’t seem like true love. Books like Carrie have to be taken off middle school bookshelves because “The line between sexuality and pornography must be understood as the difference between the exploitation and sex as a natural aspect of life.” (Rich 1). What this evidence suggests is books containing many scenes of sex are turning into pornography and just exploiting it rather than being used as a natural response to love. What this makes clear is that books like Carrie is turning sex into porn, which parents most likely don’t want their children reading. Specifically, a part from Carrie that shows this is when Chris and Billy begin to have sex on a car after Billy didn’t want to talk to Chris. This doesn’t show affection,  in fact it misuses the purpose of sex, supporting the quote above. Its used as a distraction, rather than a natural part of life and a response to love. Overall, it becomes clear middle schoolers should not have access to Carrie due to its misuse of sex.

        Another significant reason Carrie should be banned is because it uses unnecessary, explicit language. There are other ways to express rage, not just swear words. Gurdon stated “The author makes free with language that can’t be reprinted in a newspaper.” (3) about Lauren Myracle’s books. The same goes for Carrie. A lot of the language can be deemed inappropriate by parents. Some may argue its how teenagers speak, so it is fitting in the situation. However, when it is used frequently in the book, it seems like it’s okay to say things like that. It encourages kids to speak like the characters because they have no consequences. In particular, after reading The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, Maycock says “[a] 6-year-old was suspended for calling a classmate ‘poo-poo’ head” (qtd. in DiBlasio 1). This illustrates how language can affect the way readers speak. In Carrie, the characters say things that parents and teachers probably don’t want their kids reading. It influences kids’ language and their lives because they think there would be no consequences if they do the same, but as shown here there are and potential suspension. The language in the book is censored in movies and rated R, so the same should apply for books. Therefore, Carrie should be censored from teens and in middle schools.

        On the other hand, some may say Carrie should be read by teens because it is informative in that it exposes teens to puberty. Books with coming-of-age content can help kids learn about what happens when they grow up. This can help them so they won’t turn out like Carrie, who was bullied for not knowing about puberty. Some people say, “Objectionable the material maybe for some parents, but it’s not grotesque.” (Gurdon 3). The book is appropriate for kids because it informs kids on puberty without making it unsuitable for kids. This may be true, but the book should not be read by middle schoolers because puberty  should be introduced by their parents. Since it is an important topic, parents may want to discuss it with their kids before they read about it. It may frighten them when it happens, similar to Carrie was when she got her period. Talking to their kids about puberty is a big responsibility for parents and having a book introduce it to their children, may upset them. Their kids may be hurt too because their parents didn’t talk to them about it first. Therefore, books involving puberty and coming-of-age should be reviewed by their parents before kids begin to read it. In other words, books should be censored before kids read it.

        Clearly, Carrie should be banned because it misuses sex and explicit language and includes a topic that should be discussed with a child’s parents first. People may say banning books are unconstitutional and hinders kids from learning about the world and their educational development. However, if movies can have age restrictions, so should books. This doesn’t mean books shouldn’t be read by teens, but that they should have permission from their parents first and be read only when they’re ready. If unconstitutionally banning some books means preventing kids from reading inappropriately deemed books, it seems worth the risk. 

Works Cited

Diblasio, Natalie. "Schools Once Again Face Bind Over Censorship vs. Book Lists." Usa Today 2011 aug 19: A.1 DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://sks.sirs.com>.

Gurdon, Meghan C. "Darkness Too Visible." WSJ. Wall Street Journal, 4 June 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

Rich, Jake. "Can Book Censorship Save Our Children and Their Innocence?" University Wire (2014 Oct 07): N.p. DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://sks.sirs.com>.