Top 10 Banned Books

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Since people started reading books, governments and counties have sought to ban literature they deemed inappropriate, controversial, or problematic. To this day, schools and libraries attempt to keep certain books out of the hands of readers. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that they ban some of the funniest novels. Here is a list of the top ten banned books, from the 1850s until today.

#10: The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlett Letter, published in 1850, is the story of Hester Prynne, who has an affair with an unknown man after her husband is lost for years at sea. Hester’s affair becomes public when she gives birth to a daughter named Pearl. However, she refuses to reveal the identity of her lover. She is publicly branded as an adulterer with the A that is sewn into her clothing. The local community then shuns her. Hester’s lover, the beloved pastor Arthur Dimmesdale experiences personal anguish because of his sin, as well as psychological torture at the hands of Hester’s husband, who returns under a false name. At the end of the novel, Dimmesdale dies after confessing to the town that he is Hester’s lover and Pearl’s father. Hester, on the other hand, slowly earns a measure of respect from the townspeople because of her humility and her acceptance of her sin.

The Scarlett Letter is one of the top banned books in the world. It’s sympathetic treatment of the adulterous Hester Prynne was cause for concern and has led to it being banned hundreds of times since its publication.^[1]sparknotes – The Scarlet Letter

#9: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, a critical period in U.S. history. Stowe, a northern abolitionist, wrote the novel about the heart-wrenching separation of slave families and the brutal treatment of slaves by their white masters.

The book sparked outrage in the South. It joined the banned books list when many southern counties banned it for promoting an inaccurate image of slavery. However, the book was immensely popular in the North. It served to fuel further anti-slavery sentiment. This ultimately led to increased tensions between the North and the South which erupted in Civil War in 1861.

The book’s influence was so great that when Abraham Lincoln met Stowe ten years after the book’s publication. He purportedly remarked, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war”. Interestingly, the novel was even more popular in Great Britain. There it impacted public opinion enough to prevent Britain from entering the U.S. Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. The book continues to be banned in some school districts for its perpetuation of stereotypes of African Americans and its use of offensive language, particularly the ‘n-word.’^[2]U.S. History – 28d. Harriet Beecher Stowe — Uncle Tom’s Cabin

#8: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Uypton Sinclair wrote and published one of the most published banned books Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1905. He wrote it as a progressive criticism of working conditions in the meat-packing industry. It is the story about Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkis and his experience working for a fictional Chicago meatpacking company. The book shows how the companies exploited the workers and cheated them out of pay, and it describes in detail the spread of disease and lack of basic amenities such as toilets. It shows how packing companies sold contaminated meat to the public.

In the novel, Sturgis has a string of misfortunes that begins when he is injured on the assembly line. When Jurgis meets a socialist hotel owner, he becomes involved in the Socialist Party. Public outcry caused by The Jungle encouraged President Roosevelt to appoint a commission to investigate the conditions in Chicago’s slaughterhouses. The commission’s findings ultimately led to the implementation of new laws and the creation of the FDA. The Jungle was later banned by U.S. libraries and schools and by countries like Yugoslavia, East Germany South Korea, and Boston for espousing socialist ideas.^[3]Constitutional Rights Foundation – Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle: Muckraking the Meat-Packing Industry

#7: 1984 by George Orwell

George Orwell published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1949. The book setting is a dystopian society in which the totalitarian states divide the world. The main character, Winston Smith, is fully aware of the government’s omnipresence. In fact, it controls everything from the state’s history and media to the thoughts of its people. Winston, a member of the ruling party, becomes disillusioned with the government and its leading figure known as “Big Brother”. The government ends up tricking him and his lover Julia, by using government spies to coerce them into acts of rebellion against the party. Ultimately, the party tortures and forces Winston to accept and love the government and Big Brother.^[4]sparknotes – 1984

Orwell’s novel is a warning against totalitarianism, surveillance, and government control and manipulation. The book was, unsurprisingly, banned and burned in Stalin’s Russia and the USSR for its anti-communist themes. Oddly, however, the book was also banned in some school districts in the United States. 1984 is one of the top banned books because it encourages a skepticism of government that has been viewed as “anti-government.”^[5]world.edu – Banned Book Awareness: \”1984\”

#6: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

In 1954, the Lord of the Flies first came out. Many schools banned it for its pessimistic portrayal of human nature. The novel is about a group of young boys who survive a plane crash. However, they end up stranded on a deserted island. They make attempts to work together. However, the boys quickly become uninterested in doing the jobs necessary to ensure their survival. In fact, they begin to act recklessly and carelessly. For example, they don’t pay attention to their signal fire. Eventually, it engulfs the forest. In addition, their hunting trips turn into frenzied acts of slaughter. To top it off, they resort to murder and kill two boys. They kill the first with just their hands and teeth. They end up killing the second by rolling a boulder over him.^[6]sparknotes – Lord of the Flies

The novel suggests that every man has a beast within him. Due to this message, a number of school districts have banned this book. One North Carolina high school explained their reasoning succinctly. They said that they banned the book for its implication that “man is little more than an animal.” Other school districts put it on the banned books list for different reasons. Some argued that the novel’s portrayal of men who paint their faces and hunt as savage was inherently racist toward cultures that still engaged in such ritualistic hunting practices.^[7]Penn State – Lord of the Flies (Ryan Werts)

#5: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird first came out. It tells the story of a young girl in the rural South named Scout. It shows her personal growth that she experiences as her father, lawyer Atticus Finch, confronts the racist judicial system. She alters her perception of her town when her father represents in court a black man named Tom Robinson. The courts had unfairly convicted Robinson of raping a white woman and and subsequently murdered him. Tom Robinson’s unfair conviction destroys Scout’s illusion of her town and shows her the cost of upholding justice.

The racist Bob Ewell attacks her father for his defense of the innocent man. He later tries to attack Scout as well. The novel ends when Boo Radley, a local shut-in and the frequent subject of town gossip, saves Scout from Ewell. When Boo Radley saves Scout, it begins to restore her faith in mankind and forces her to confront her own prejudices.^[8]sparknotes – To Kill a Mockingbird

Despite the positive message of To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel made the banned books list because it deals with rape and uses offensive language.  While the controversy has expectedly died down since the book’s publication, debate over the novel’s use in schools continues. In fact, in 2017 the book was pulled from a Mississippi High School’s reading list because it made people “uncomfortable.”^[9]USA Today – Banned in Biloxi, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ raises old censorship debate

#4: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

In 2012, the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower drew attention by starring well-known actors such as Emma Watson. The film was based on Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 coming-of-age novel. The novel deals with a number of controversial topics. It focuses on the main character, Charlie, and his struggle to deal with his Aunt Helen’s death and his friend’s more recent suicide. It also includes a same-sex relationship between a boy named Patrick and Brad, the quarterback of the high school football team.^[10]sparknotes – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Due to the adult subject matter, many high schools challenged the book. In a Connecticut school, one parent complained about its inappropriateness. An organized committee ultimately chose not to ban the book. Later, the Superintendent reversed this decision and removed it from reading lists.^[11]ABA – Perks of Being a Wallflower Banned After Parent Complains

Even the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower weighed in on peoples attempts to ban the book. He said, “If this gentleman objected to the book, he should be allowed to say that I don’t want my son to read that…At the same time, I don’t recognize his right to tell me my son or daughter can’t read it.” Ultimately, Chbosky asserted that he intended the book to be “a blueprint for healing” and a way to open up dialogue about sensitive and traumatic topics.^[12]NBC – “Do I Want My Book Banned? No,” “Perks of Being a Wallflower” Author Says After Wallingford Book Controversy

#3: The Banned Books – The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling’s seven-book series, published between 1997 and 2007, has become a staple of young adult literature and has inspired a billion-dollar film series featuring actors that have become household names such as Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliff. The series tells the story of Harry Potter, a young boy who learns that he is a wizard at 11 years old and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Surprisingly, Harry Potter makes the list of top banned books. Religious groups have frequently challenged the books for glorifying magic, the occult, and witchcraft. One example include a New Mexico church that oversaw a book burning of the series. Another example was a Georgia County that tried to ban the books for promoting witchcraft. Despite the backlash against Rowling’s books, the series remains immensely popular.^[13]Intellectual Freedom Blog – Harry Potter and 20 Years of Controversy

#2: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Jay Asher wrote and published Thirteen Reasons Why in 2007. It recently experienced a surge in popularity after Netflix released a web television series based on the novel. The novel and TV series tell the story of high school student Hannah Baker. She commits suicide after a string of humiliating and isolating incidents. These incidents culminate in her rape at a party. Before she commits suicide, she records tapes. Before she dies, she sent these tapes to every person who she says are the cause her suicide. The thirteen tapes include everyone from a boy who made a list saying Hannah had the “best butt,” cementing a false reputation for Hannah, to her rapist, to the guidance counselor who failed to help her.

This book is on the banned books list for purportedly glamorizing suicide, negative portrayals of helping professionals, and inappropriate subject matter. The book’s author maintains that by deeming such topics “inappropriate,” schools and parents may be indirectly making teens feel uncomfortable talking about them.^[14]PBS – Banning books like ’13 Reasons Why’ makes it harder for teens to open up to adults, author says

#1: I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

Recently, Jazz Jennings has appeared on popular shows such as 20/20, 60 minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and even her own TLC show, also titled I Am Jazz. In 2014, with the help of Jessica Herthel, Jazz published a children’s book on the subject of transgender identity. The book is the story of Jazz’s childhood and her navigation of gender. As a child, she always felt like she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. Even a doctor confirmed that she was transgender. The book shows how Jazz’s parents accepted her and allowed her to live as a girl. It also shows some of the struggles she continues to face because of her identity. The book is for young children and aims to send a message of tolerance and anti-bullying.^[15]Sex Ed Rescue – I AM JAZZ BOOK BY JESSICA HERTHEL AND JAZZ JENNINGS: BOOK REVIEW

Not surprisingly, the book joins other banned books that people have challenged for their controversial subject matter. Yet, in places where the book has met resistance, community members have pushed for the book’s acceptance. In 2015, a Wisconsin elementary school cancelled a planned reading of the book in honor of an incoming transgender student. However, people came together to host the reading at the local public library. The library expected to host around 20 people. Instead, 600 people wound up showing up to support the student and the student’s family.^[16]Intellectual Freedom Blog – Spotlight on Censorship: ‘I Am Jazz’