You "Gatsby" kidding me!
Kira Bretsky, Staff Writer
In 1982, the United States Supreme Court was first introduced to the controversial topic of banned books as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” was challenged throughout the nation due to complaints of explicit language and sex. The Board of Education v. Pico ruling remains fairly ambiguous to this day, leaving book censorship decisions up to individual districts throughout the country. Today, books like “Beloved” by Toni Morrison are under review in countless school districts across America, but violence, sexuality, and racism are common in higher level literature, and education systems have no right to censor students’ resources during the transition to college and career.
Students like Larissa Markman (’22) originally read Beloved for school-related reasons, yet have found insight into a world beyond the textbook. Markman emphasized that book bans would rob students of unique voices behind the words in controversial literature.
“They would be missing out on the incredible work of Toni Morrison and the way she goes about giving a new perspective to slavery,” Markman said.
While Samo’s library doors are open to all books, neighboring states have had trouble with parent complaints regarding texts containing uncomfortable topics. Over the summer of 2019, Samo students sat down to read “Slaughterhouse-Five’’ by Kurt Vonnegut as part of the school district’s summer reading assignment. 16 months later, in Vail, Arizona, parents at Cienega High School protested its place on library shelves. The protest in Vail was one of over 20 complaints against “Slaughterhouse-Five’’ that have reached their way to local school boards and beyond since 1973. One recurring criticism of the book’s contents refers to its portrayal of women; concerned parents of high school students in places like Vail have argued that exposure to male dominance in literature will only fuel sexism in schools. While the desire to censor patriarchal values in American history may seem progressive at first, ripping these pages from history won’t stand the test of time. By banning evidence of female oppression, schools instead fuel the denial of sexism, thus invalidating movements like women’s suffrage.
This story will never end; censorship in the United States is a persistent issue. As complaints continue to ban everything from books to broadcasts, silenced voices become invisible communities. Samo history teacher Amy Bisson (’89) remarked on the future of resource restriction.
“Once you start to decide what someone can or cannot read, then what stops you in the future from adding to that list?” Bisson said.
Kurt Vonnegut (Shortridge High School, ’40) expressed his frustration on the subject before his death in 2007.
“To hell with the censors!” Vonnegut said.
Kira Bretsky / The Samohi