Banning Books In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

The banning of books is a highly debated topic amongst overprotective parents of high school students. Books have the ability to influence readers in a variety of both positive and negative ways. This fact scares parents into claiming the necessity to ban novels that are a supposed "danger" to adolescents, resulting in the limiting of critical thinking. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a novel full of controversial topics such as violence, consequently causing the question to arise as to if this literary work should be read in the classroom. Although the novel contains frequent acts of violence, The Grapes of Wrath should be included in all high school curriculum because it promotes much needed awareness of violence.
Violence in literature …show more content…
In an article about media violence, author Gerard Jones wrote book about the merits of exposure to violence in the media. Jones argues that, "young people love violence not because the media indoctrinates them, but because it gives them coping skills they desperately need" and that violence in novels and media everywhere teaches adolescents to "trust their own emotions, build stronger selves, and withstand the pressures of pop culture" (). It is the purpose of most books to entertain or inform, but they cannot do so if parents or teachers censor the information that best develops and emphasizes the awareness of violence. According to this quote, the very reason parents want The Grapes of Wrath to be banned is what potentially could make their child a better person. The violence in this novel brings attention to issues that readers should be made aware of and have a change to form an unbiased opinion about. Reading about history and the violence that coexisted is a fantastic way to inform students of the problems of the world. Exposure to violence in the media, more specifically literature, is a vital way to allow adolescents to develop thoughts that protect their minds and habits that protect them from the pressures of being a …show more content…
It is important to practice the work of change and refrain from making the same mistakes of the failed past. It is the right of the author, NAME AUTHOR, to recall the historically accurate, horrific violence and terror that took place during the Great Depression. It is because he practiced that right that readers can truly learn from the violent situations and think up a better solution. It is claimed that, "Overall, critics acknowledge that the postwar poet has a certain obligation to study the nature of violence in order that it can be understood and avoided in the future. For some modern poets, however, violence has provided an ironic source of creativity and change, as the new and pure is brought forth from the ashes of destruction through violent conflict." It is vital that adolescents read about the positive and negative outcomes of violence. Both modern and classic novels teach lessons of violence and this is