The concept of freedom of speech has been the center of debates for centuries in human societies in various cultures. One of the components of such an idea is the freedom of expression, which is closely connected with the right to express one’s opinion and beliefs in written form. It is known as book banning when private individuals, public officials, or groups prevent books from being read because they disagree with their themes, ideas, or tone. Those who support a ban claim that the book contains graphic violence is sexually explicit, glorifies immorality, is unworthy of literary merit, is inappropriate for a specific age range, or uses offensive language. However, the burning of books cannot be perceived as civilized censorship and should not be supported in the modern world due to ideological and personal factors.
There are two points of view through which the issue must be studied. First, the personal perception of content can be considered dangerous individually and consequently censored due to the assumptions of separate individuals. The second aspect is the ideological danger when books are banned nationwide, which can lead to fanaticism. The personal aspect is widely portrayed in Vonnegut’s letter “I am very real” (1973). The author explains his perspective on the situation when Charles McCarthy, the head of Drake High School, decided that Vonnegut’s novel was inappropriate due to obscene language.
The books were burned; however, such an act exposed the leadership of a school as barbaric, unable to perceive different depictions of the world. The author points out that it is true that some of the characters speak coarsely because people speak coarsely in real life (Vonnegut, 1973). Two main conclusions can be made according to McCarthy’s reasoning. The school refuses to show children an uncensored perspective on life, which can be harmful to them facing such aspects growing up because the burned book could not change the natural setting of the world. Additionally, personal disrespect toward others’ opinions and beliefs is unacceptable in the modern world. The author uses personal appeal to show that the school’s leaders dismiss the personal experience explained in the book. In conclusion, he uses the phrase “you have insulted me, and I am a good citizen, and I am very real” to emphasize the emotive response (Vonnegut, 1973). This perspective reflects the uncivilized nature of the burning book, which restricts freedom of speech and expression and can harm the individual who created the book.
Another ideological point of view is discussed in the poem by Stafford presents a point that books should be burned. In the poem “Burning a book,” the narrator claims that certain publications should be burned because they are biased or hateful (Stafford, 1986). There were indeed such cases in history where books presented a danger to society through the propaganda of particular ideologies or supporting ideas of dictators. Burning books, for instance, had a form of purification procedure for the German language during World War II, resulting in fanaticism. Nevertheless, Stafford pointed out that “a few charred words” are still present after the book has been burned. It means that the fire cannot purify society or erase the ideas presented in the books, but instead, it leaves a trace of them in the present and people’s minds.
Therefore, society must be educated to analyze the content of books, even the most dangerous, and make personal conclusions about them to differentiate harmful ideas from the truth. It is the only way to create stable, established social connections, not through burning books. Regardless of individual or social censorship, burned pages cannot prevent people from encountering dangerous ideas and situations, and civilized communication must be the primary tool in forming views in such cases.
References
Stafford, W. (1986) Burning a Book. Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems. Graywolf Press. Web.
Vonnegut, K. (1973). I am very real. Kurt Vonnegut: Letters. Delacorte Press.