Analysis Of Into The River By Ted Dawe

“When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” ― George R.R. Martin. Throughout history, schools have books banned books for a host of reasons, from politically controversial content to profane language or violence. Book banning should no longer be allowed in schools because parents should the ones deciding what their child can or cannot read, it violates the First Amendment, and it does not teach children and teens to think for themselves.

The natural world has a unique power unequivocal to anything human to make one deeply contemplative, introspective, and observant of the universe around them. Norman Maclean testifies to this power in his novella A River Runs Through It. Through his eulogy to the Blackfoot river Norman Maclean captures the human soul and what it means to grow up, his story explaining how a river affects a man. Robert Redford’s movie adaptation, while maintaining the core importance of the Blackfoot river, focuses on the interpersonal relationships Norman develops throughout his life and how those affect his character and life choices. A River Runs through it encapsulates the emotional growth Norman undergoes growing up via his relationship with the river

Steven Herrick’s work of “By the river” displays a bildungsroman novel in which harry goes on a journey through life, facing love and loss.

“Book Banning” may seem like an issue of the past, but, in fact, it is still a very pertinent issue in the U.S. today. These classic books have been banned at one time or another: Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, The Harry Potter series. You’re probably wondering how these, extremely famous, books can be so censored in America today. There are many reasons that are given in regards to book censorship. For instance, language or profanity, violence, sexual explicitness, or “uncomfortable” topics, such as rape and race relations. Christian groups have requested that a countless number of books, with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ+) themes, be taken out of schools and libraries The banning and censorship of books can happen in many places and ways; taking them off school reading lists, or even out of libraries and bookstores.

The idea to ban certain books from schools and libraries is preposterous due to the manner in which the people trying to enforce these bans try to do so in. Banning books doesn’t help with the already present problem that our youth’s intelligence levels are already declining, and neither does allowing the freedom to all books. Banning certain books due to their constant use of inappropriate language, sexually explicit nature, and all around mature content has a respectfully reasonable reason to be inaccessible to younger audiences such as minors and teens; not young adults. The banning of books in libraries is outright inexcusable, unless the material is directly racist, subjective religious content, and all around hatred for a certain race or ethnicity; not if it’s used for fictional writing, in a softer manner mid you, to express the conflict in a story and/or to show real world problems, same go for non-fictional writing that expresses ideals in a manner of which isn’t disrespectful to other ideals and that do so in a manner of which isn’t so subjectively and deliberately showing hate for a certain race or ethnicity, especially

First, the author argues, “When engaging in critical literacy, readers question reality and entertain multiple perspectives about particular topics, attitudes, and behaviors” (Graff). Challenged and banned books are beneficial to readers. These banned books help students evaluate more difficult pieces of literature, which could be used in the future. Jennifer Graff states, “...Book censorship helps us think critically about the power of the written word as well as the relationships between individuals, texts, and contexts, to paraphrase Lawrence Sipe (1999)” (Graff). Banned and challenged books allow readers to see the truth--from the past, future, or present--written by the author. Readers can apply these ideas to real-life situations successfully. In the article, On Reading and Sharing Banned Books, the topic of “...heightened sensitivity about what and how we say things,” and needing, “ongoing conversations about how literature can be part of our lives without undue stress and controversy” is exposed (Graff). Books are written for many reasons, to inform persuade, entertain, and relax; however, with books censorship, finding relaxing or entertaining books is extremely difficult. Without censorship, readers could easily discuss these now controversial topics without worry. The purpose of the book, good moral, and potentially

For years now, censoring has been limiting the public’s freedom in literature, films, media, and plenty of other categories. A big section being censored today, that troubles a lot of people, is children’s literature. Books are the most common thing to be censored, especially children’s. They continue to ban books across the world, meant to be enjoyed, for reasons they call valid. A popular excuse for banning books is the diversity displayed in them. According to “How Banning Books Marginalizes Children”, 52% of the books banned in the last 10 years were called “diverse context”

Many books have been questioned and challenged. Even as far as to banning them. But what exactly is a banned book and why are they banned? A banned book is a book that has been censored by an authority, a government body, a library, or a even school system. A book that has been banned is actually removed from a library or school system. The actual contextual reasons as to banning them is use of explicit violence, gore, sexuality, explicit language, religion, or dark times in history. On the non-contextual side of the reason why they are banned books are usually because with the best intentions to protect people, frequently children, from difficult philosophies and information. Teachers, or even more common adults, often censor books from

These reasons include the effects on morality, the innocence of a child, and conflicting values of what should be read in the classroom. “I think censorship should be avoided whenever possible, and there are a lot of examples of school boards too eagerly censoring this or that book, often for reasons that have little to do with propriety.”(Mattix 4) These concerns can easily be addressed. As stated in the previous paragraph, there is no negative morality drop when exposed to content like this. Unfortunately, our society is already getting rougher and is most likely that most children are already not so innocent due to it so the book will have little effect on their innocence. If there is conflict on the reading in the classroom, teachers can simply hand out permission slips asking for approval. An alternate assignment can then be assigned if there is disapproval. Overall, the negativity in these claims simply non-existent as it has no effect on the morality of people, children innocence were already gone due to other things, and alternative assignments exist to adjust for concerns.

"Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them” (Halse).

Book banning is something that should be done away with in schools. It hurts everyone, and the only time it is appropriate is if the book is deemed to be truly inappropriate for children by students, teachers, parents, and everyone else that deals with children for reasons related to obscenity and an imminent clear and present danger. In the outside world, public libraries and such cannot ban books. First amendment affects book banning a great deal.

Book banning is said to be happening for many reasons. School boards say that there is foul language in some books. They also say that there is political bias in books. This might be good for some people because they need exposure to both sides of politics. If kids read these books in school, by the time they are allowed to be involved in politics, they are adults and they will have more of an experience

Is it better to live a life that is long and mundane or one that is short but fulfilling? It is a question with no right answers. The hope for a number of us is to live both a long and fulfilling life, but hope can only take you so far. Death, like life, is one of those inevitable things that we cannot control. You can fight it or even try to control it, but more often than not, it is not going to work out the way you want it to. The only control that you have, is to live the life that you desire, so when the time comes, you can leave this world peacefully, knowing you have lived your life.

It is my belief that since by the time the child is required to read such literature in school, they are at an age where they can distinguish between things that should and should not be said and it is the job of the parents to educate the child that just because they say it in a book does not mean he or she should.Another subject common to banned and censored books is sexuality.

The argument for people that wish for the book to be banned seems to be based around that the language used in the book as as inappropriate and that children at this age should not have to know these words, and/or they should not have to learn about these horrible occurrences in history. Their claim is that kids are going to think since it is in a book that it means that it is ok to use those words or maybe the parents just think that the children don't know the words or something. If the parents stating these outrageous claims actually heard the things most kids at this age say when around their friends they would be very surprised. They know the words in the book and many more words they might not say them in front of their parents but