Banning Books is Banning Freedom

Throughout history, the suppression of knowledge through banning or destroying books has been seen at some point in most modern societies. The reason as to why books are banned varies from different governments and their respective culture. In America, books have been restricted based on the type of themes or messages that it attempts to portray to its readers. The basis of which books are often banned includes: racial issues, encouragement of damaging lifestyles, blasphemous dialog, sexual situations or dialog, violence or negativity, presence of witchcraft, religious affiliations of unpopular religions, political bias, or that are age inappropriate. In Where Triples Go To Die, there are many themes that are contained in the book that would be grounds for being banned in modern times. However, in the 1950s, it is without a doubt that the book would have never been published.

One of the themes found in the book is the theme of race. Juke Jackson just one of the characters that are African-American who is often met with racial biases. The book often talks about the societal standards of African-Americans and the issues they face. In the book, the character Arthur Allenby, often comments on the different aspects of societal standards that affect African-Americans. Allenby states that “Too many black fathers today are simply not in the picture to push their sons (Hutchinson 769).” This sentiment is shared by many in the community as it is a stereotype that African-American children are often without a father figure. This is further elaborated by Serie McDougal from the Journal of Pan African Studies that states “current research on Black fathers has generated a great deal of awareness about notions of father absence, with frequent references to father-absent homes and the fatherless children who live in them (1).” This confirms the prevalence of absent fathers in black communities. In the 1950s, segregation was still a part of daily American life, and so any insight into black living would have been restricted.

In the 1950s, American leaned politically conservative. Topics that were not aligned with traditional American values, were often silenced. In the book, the topic of sex is promoted throughout the story. In chapter 7 of the book, the sexual implications of the character speaking become more explicit. The book narrates Angela Hardy, Malcolm Wade’s wife, as she begins her reawakening. The book states that “she reached a hand down to stroke his recently hyperactive member (Hutchinson 1333).” This could be restricted under the grounds of “sexual situations or dialog”. A piece of literature that connects with this is the poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg. In 1954, 520 copies of the poem were confiscated by the San Francisco Collector of Customs Chester McPhee on the grounds that the writing was “too obscene”( Morgan and Peters 2). Howl includes to many sexual activities and illegal substances. In the poem Howl, it talks about having sex with motorcyclists and sailors of the sort. The line that was a heated topic for debate was, “ who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy” (Ginsberg line 36). In the 1950s, graphic language such as this with its respective theme was enough for it to be on trial for being banned. The book, Where Triples Go To Die, also contains such sexual themes.

Books can even be censored by the type of explicit language that is used. In our book, the use of adult language is found throughout the entirety of the story. One example is the use of the harsh racial slur, predominantly used against people of color. This word is found seven times throughout the story. One of the ways it was used, was by Juke Jackson himself, who states “I mean, the fool could’ve shot me right then. I’d been just one more dead n***** (Hutchinson 1009.) The story uses it as a form of degradation towards African-American people. This connects with another book that was also banned on the grounds of using the slur. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the word is used liberally by the residents of the town to demean the clients of Atticus Finch.

In the end, Where Triples Go To Die, is a great book that explores the topics of racial issues, mental illness, and life beautiful. However, the book has many themes that are grounds for banning in modern times. Yet, in the 1950s, these themes that were contained within the book would have been evaluated as unfit for the public.