Ap English Literature Research Paper

Adil Siddiqui Mrs. Roberts English Pd. 1 29 March 2024

Painful and Uncomfortable Literature During the 2022-2023 school year alone, 3,362 books were banned to censor certain content from children. Book banning has been detrimental to society ever since World War Two. It is crucial that the youth are not stopped from reading any literature as this will block them from experiencing things they will be exposed to more harshly later in life. Commonly banned literature will teach children vital lessons, and censoring it is an avoidance. Reading uncomfortable or painful literature is crucial to human beings, especially adolescents. Literary censorship is undoubtedly among the cruelest forms of avoidance. According to "Avoidance: The Band-Aid Solution," …show more content…
This is detrimental, considering avoiding triggers will prevent children from "learning effective coping skills to deal with difficult situations in the future” (Smith). Moreover, emotions and uncomfortable feelings should be accepted and used to strengthen one's self, rather than brushed off and ignored. The analogy of "This being human is a guest house" (Rumi). explains the significance of accepting emotions. Rumi Writes, "The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in" (Rumi). This shows that all emotions should be welcomed, and not ignored. Feelings that we experience by reading painful literature should be welcomed and embraced. Each of their guests must be treated well, as they “... may be clearing you out for some new delight” (Rumi). Clearly, after experiencing pain and sorrow, positive feelings may follow. In summary, we must refrain from avoiding the feelings that painful literature may bring. Furthermore, by reading uncomfortable and painful literature, kids learn lessons that will help them throughout their lives. Under the Influence, by Scott Sanders explains the struggles of having an alcoholic father. This strongly exemplifies the type of literature that is often banned. Scott Sanders' story …show more content…
By reading this, children experiencing similar conflicts learn that they must not blame themselves. Additionally, Sanders writes, “I vowed to never put in my mouth or veins any chemical that would banish my everyday self. I would never make a scene, never lash out at the ones I loved, never hurt a soul” (Sanders). These lessons cannot be taught through strict and restrictive curriculums. These lessons can save lives, and schools are burning them and banning them. Finally, protecting children from real life by banning uncomfortable content is ineffective. In Kurt Vonnegut's letter to a school district that burnt his books in a furnace, he states, "Those words really don't damage children much. They didn't damage us when we were young. It was evil deeds and lies that hurt us” (Vonnegut). Uncomfortable and painful literature is not the problem in this situation. Institutions like the Drake school board are not achieving anything by censoring content that will be experienced later in life. Students must read these stories and be exposed to difficult situations, as they will have to deal with them eventually. Vonnegut writes, "You should also resolve to expose your children to all sorts of opinions and information so that they will be

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