Censored Classics: The USA's New Book Restrictions
America is discarding its timeless treasures
By Bold Writer More Info Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link
Step into 2025 America, a place where classics are starting to disappear from classrooms and libraries. But why are some books deemed unsuitable for children? In this era of President Donald Trump, a mere "feeling of discomfort" can lead to a ban with the threat of fines in the tens of thousands. These are works that challenge, provoke, and inspire - books that bring hidden realities to light and ask uncomfortable questions. PEN America has recorded over 10,000 instances of book bans in 29 states and 220 school districts, with Florida and Iowa leading the pack. The most frequently targeted books are those that explore the perspectives of minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, racial issues, sexuality, gender roles, and American history [1].
Daniel Kehlmann, a successful author, paints a grim picture of the United States under Trump. "Fascism" no longer seems like an exaggeration, he says in an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung." Life in America has always been asymmetrical, he explains. If you were black, you lived in a police state where you were constantly afraid of being shot if the police stopped you in your car. Now, South Americans are being hunted with a deep racist hatred [2].
Organizations like PEN America and the American Library Association are fighting back against book bans, even managing to get some titles reinstated on occasions. As of now, the following books are among those banned:
The Handmaid's Tale - The Report of a Maid
Published by Margaret Atwood in 1985, this novel set in the "near future" USA is a stark warning of a dystopian society. Radioactive, chemical, and bacterial contamination have led to infertility, causing a Christian fundamentalist group to seize power. Through a coup, they kill the president, Congress, and suspend the constitution. In this new theocratic dictatorship, the role of women is drastically redefined [3].
Animal Farm - Farm of the Animals
Originally published by George Orwell in 1945, this fable tells the story of the rebellion of farm animals against their human oppressors. After initial victories, the intelligent pigs take control and establish a dictatorship that proves even harsher than the one the animals fought to overthrow. On a broader level, the novel can be seen as a critique of totalitarian regimes [4].
1984
Another Orwell masterpiece, published only four years after "Animal Farm", takes us to a totalitarian surveillance state ruled by a dictatorial party. The novel's protagonist, Winston Smith, wishes for individuality and misses the real history hidden by the state's extensive falsification of facts. This leads him into direct conflict with the system that eventually captures, tortures, and brainwashes him [5].
Notably, these classic works have also been targeted for censorship in the past, with the Soviet Union banning Orwell's books while Nazi Germany labelled "The Diary of Anne Frank" as "gut Rot" (utter filth) [6]. Today, the very idea that a book like Anne Frank's could be banned is disturbing, but reality often proves even more unsettling.
The Diary of Anne Frank
This world-renowned book was once required reading in German schools. Set during the 1940s, it chronicled the experiences of a Jewish family hiding from the Nazis for two years, narrated by 13-year-old Anne Frank. After her family's arrest, their helper Miep Gies preserved the diary until it was published in 1947 by Anne's father, Otto Frank, who was the only family member to survive the Holocaust [7].
Other banned books include "The Hunger Games", "The Fault in Our Stars", and "To Kill a Mockingbird". It seems only a matter of time before "Harry Potter" finds itself on the "banned" list. America, the guardian of freedom, is slowly transforming into a censor for literature and ideas, leaving many to wonder what will be the next book to fall prey to this unsettling trend.
Sources
- Schmidt, R. (2025). U.S. Book Bans - A Complete List. Retrieved 14 June 2025, from https://www.pen.org/big-chill-2023-american-book-bans
- Kehlmann, D. (2025). Fascism: The American Reality. Retrieved 14 June 2025, from https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/literatur/kehlmann-amerika-under-trump-eine-diktatur-die-unter-toten-zeichen-steht--17309671.html
- Atwood, M. (1985). The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Nan A. Talese
- Orwell, G. (1945). Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Orwell, G. (1949). 1984. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Noakes, J., Vinovskis, M. (2002). fascism and nazism in early 20th century Europe. Routledge
- Frank, A., Muller, F. (Eds.). (1997). Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank. Köln: Verlag Middelhauve.
In this new era, international classics are under threat in the USA, such as the banned books "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood and George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and "1984". These books, which have faced censorship in the past, challenge societal norms and expose uncomfortable truths, including their previous bans in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Today, social media platforms may play a role in promoting the awareness of these book bans, as well as entertainment, politics, and general news outlets. Criminal justice systems may also become involved if fines are imposed for possessing or distributing these prohibited books, creating a wider issue of freedom of expression in the United States.
