Censored Classics: The USA's Controversial Literature Ban Wave
America discards its timeless masterpieces
By Sabine Oelmann More Info Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link
Welcome to America in 2025, where the freedom to read is under threat. In some states, books are being removed from classrooms and libraries due to supposed inappropriateness. But what exactly are these dangerous books?
As soon as someone finds a book disturbing, it should be out of reach for children. Penalties of thousands of dollars are looming. Sadly, this is a reality in America under President Donald Trump in 2025. These are books that challenge, provoke thought, expose disadvantages, and pose questions. PEN America, a writers' association, recorded over 10,000 cases in 29 states and 220 school districts, with Florida and Iowa taking the lead in book bans.
Topics such as race, sexual orientation, gender, racism, sexual identity, physical abuse, death, and violence are frequently challenging the status quo in the books most frequently banned.
Entering Fascism?Daniel Kehlmann, a bestselling author ("Measuring the World"), finds the term "fascism" for America under Trump "no longer exaggerated." He explained in an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" that life in America has long been asymmetrical, with drastically different experiences for different races and ethnicities. Now, under Trump, he says, people from South America are being targeted with deep racist hatred.
Organizations like PEN America and the American Library Association are actively fighting book bans, sometimes successfully reversing the bans. Here's a look at some of the books currently banned:
The Handmaid's Tale: A Maid's Report
Set in a dystopian America in the near future, this novel by Margaret Atwood is a masterpiece of futuristic fiction. Here's the story: Radiation, chemical, and bacterial contamination have led to fertility issues in many people. After a coup by a Christian-fundamentalist group, the President and Congress are assassinated, and the Constitution is suspended. A state of emergency is declared, newspapers are censored, and roadblocks are set up. A theocratic dictatorship with strict rules, limited public movement, and police controls is established. The role of women is significantly downgraded, with no ownership of property, subordination in all state affairs, and confinement to the role of housewives with the task of bearing children.
The novel is being adapted into a television series.
Animal Farm: A Farm of Beasts
Published by George Orwell in 1945, this parable tells the story of an uprising of farm animals against their human overlords. The animals initially succeed in overthrowing their oppressors, but a group of pigs takes over the leadership and establishes a dictatorship that is as oppressive as the original ruling class.
The book can be seen as an allegory for the Soviet Union, but its themes continue to resonate around the world. Interestingly, during the GDR era, the book was banned in East Germany.
1984: A Totalitarian Surveillance State
Also by George Orwell, this dystopian novel is set in a totalitarian surveillance state in the year 1984. The protagonist, Winston Smith, seeks privacy and uncovers government lies about the past. He comes into conflict with the system, which captures, tortures, and brainwashes him.
The book is often cited when commenting on government surveillance or pointing out tendencies toward a surveillance state.
The Diary of Anne Frank: A Teenage Girl's Struggle
Published in German in 1947, Anne Frank's account of life in hiding during World War II has become a classic. Her diary was hidden by a helper named Miep Gies and handed over to Anne's father after the war. The book was translated into over 70 languages and included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. It has been filmed several times.
It's hard to believe that a book about a girl who simply wanted to live her life could be banned.
The Hunger Games: A Dystopian Nightmare
The Hunger Games, a trilogy by American author Suzanne Collins, gained worldwide popularity with over 100 million copies sold. The story takes place in a dystopian future where children are forced to fight to the death in a televised event.
brutality. The same cannot be said for adults, who seem unable to take action.
The Fault in Our Stars: A Bittersweet Coming-of-Age Story
This young-adult book was published in January 2012 and immediately reached the top of the charts. The story is about a teenage girl who has been battling cancer for three years and meets a fellow cancer patient. The book explores themes such as love, loss, and growing up.
Considering the themes and target audience, one wonders about the wisdom of banning this book.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Prejudice and Racism
Set in a small Southern town in the 1930s, this novel explores the harsh realities of prejudice and racism through the eyes of a young girl named Scout. Her father, a - perhaps surprisingly - noble lawyer, defends a black man accused of rape.
Although it has been more than 60 years since the book was published, its themes and messages remain as relevant today as ever.
Nineteen Minutes: A Tragedy Unfolds
In this gripping novel, the author explores the aftermath of a high school shooting. The story delves into the backgrounds of the shooter and those affected by the tragedy.
Given the current climate of school shootings in America, one might expect this book to be lauded as a sobering warning rather than banned.
The banning of books stifles freedom of expression, limits access to important ideas, and perpetuates ignorance. America should be a land of free thought and open discourse, not a place where books are banned for daring to challenge the status quo. Education, open-mindedness, and understanding are essential for progress, and it is our duty to fight for truth and knowledge, even in the face of adversity.
In the midst of America's controversies over literature bans, international classics like 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Animal Farm' have been targeted. Despite being recognized as masterpieces of futuristic fiction and parable, respectively, they pose questions that challenge the status quo, sparking controversy in some states.
Politics and general-news outlets have branded the banning of these books as an infringement on freedom of expression, limiting access to important ideas and perpetuating ignorance. Organizations such as PEN America and the American Library Association are advocating for the reversal of these bans, hoping to encourage a land of free thought and open discourse in the USA.
