User:Sarahtrissel/sandbox

FINAL DRAFT of what I intend on adding: Sarahtrissel (talk) 18:17, 28 November 2016 (UTC)sarahtrissel

UNDER CONTROVERSY AND CENSORSHIP (new section)

The “Perks of Being a Wallflower” was published in 1999. The book has been involved in controversies since its publication. The controversies have resulted in the book being banned at numerous schools throughout the nation ("Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists"). The book has been on the top 10 banned books in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013,2014 ("Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists"). The common reasons for controversy throughout the cases include: sexual content, drug and alcohol content, and homosexuality.

In May of 2016, in Dade City, Florida, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was banned from Pasco County Middle School after two parents complained about the book’s sexual content and drug and alcohol use. The Advanced English teacher asked her students to read the book and that is when two parents complained. Following the complaint, a committee was formed, comprised of parents, community members, and staff and they voted to ban the book and recommended the superintendent ban it throughout the district. (“Pasco School Committee Votes to Ban Book after Several Parents Question It”).The superintendent proceeded to remove the book from the school and tried to get the book banned district-wide. However, Terrie O’brien, a committee member, spoke up against banning the book throughout the district due to the precedent it would set: the banning of any book with any sexual content. Based on O’brien’s objection, the book was only banned at Pasco Middle School, not district-wide ("Florida School District Moves to Ban The Perks of Being a Wallflower").

Also in 2016, the Superintendent of a High School in Wallingford, Connecticut banned the book from 9th grade English curriculum due to parent Jean Pierre Bolat’s complaint. The parent complained about “homosexuality, date rape, masturbation, and glorification of alcohol use and drugs” ("Perks of Being a Wallflower Banned After Parent Complains").

In 2014, the book was banned from classrooms at Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois after being taught in 8th grade due to language and sexual content. However, the Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 School Board brought the book back to the school library and overturned the previous banning but a parent letter had to be sent home at the beginning of the year notifying the parents of the content their kids would be exposed to in the classroom. ("Banned Books").

In 2012, in Clarkstown, New York, the book was challenged at North High School but not banned after a parent’s complaint about teenage sex, bestiality, and homosexuality ("Banned Books"). In 2003, in Fairfax, Virginia, a group called Parents Against Bad Books in Schools challenged Perks due to its drug abuse, torture, and sexual content ("Banned Books").

UNDER RECEPTION:

When Author Stephen Chbosky (link) wrote “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” he did not anticipate the controversy that resulted. In an interview specifically responding to the Wallingford controversy, Chbosky explained that the date rape scene is violence, not sex, and he finds it disturbing that people think it is meant to arouse the reader ("Do I Want My Book Banned?"). Chbosky claims that, “the whole book is a blueprint for survival. It’s for people who have been through terrible things and need hope and support” (nbcconnecticut.com). He says that he is offended that people would take two pages of the whole book and put it out of context and say that the book has different intentions than the ones Chbosky clearly had ("Do I Want My Book Banned?"). Chbosky also comments on the act of banning his book and books in general. He explains that if someone objects to the content of the book or the book itself, they should be able to say that they don’t want their child reading it. However, Chbosky doesn’t think it’s okay for that parent to dictate what his child or other children read. Chbosky says that the novel is meant to “create dialogue” because he feels that the more these challenging, and sometimes disturbing, topics are discussed, the more people will understand the issues others face. Chbosky feels sad that the conversation which his book was meant to evoke is trying to be ended by people who fail to understand Chbosky’s purpose of writing the novel. ("Do I Want My Book Banned?"). 

Sarah - the link below is to my edits for your rough draft

-Nikhil

https://docs.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/document/d/1MvpoNxE1fnPROH06Bm01Jz2muWhQD-fjK5hGkO05uNQ/edit?usp=sharing

Bibliography

Eric Vo, Record-Journal for the Associated Press. "Do I Want My Book Banned?”, “Perks of Being a Wallflower”, “Wallingford Book Controversy." NBC Connecticut. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

"Perks of Being a Wallflower Banned After Parent Complains." American Booksellers Association. N.p., 02 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Staff, NCAC. "Florida School District Moves to Ban The Perks of Being a Wallflower." National Coalition Against Censorship. N.p., 07 July 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Titus, Ron. "Banned Books." - Marshall University Libraries. N.p., 1 July 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Abbamondi, Erin. "Georgetown University Library Journal Finder." Georgetown University Library Journal Finder. N.p., 28 Sept. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

"Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists." Banned & Challenged Books. N.p., 01. Nov. 2016. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

"A School District Bans ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ After Parents Complain… but the Fight’s Not Over Yet." Friendly Atheist. Patheos, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

"Pasco School Committee Votes to Ban Book after Several Parents Question It." WFLA. N.p., 23 May 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

The current Perks of Being a Wallflower Wikipedia page doesn't contain any information about the controversies surrounding it. I plan on adding specific cases on which the book was censored or banned and why this occurred. Additionally, I plan on adding to the plot a bit about the incident with his Aunt Helen because the current page doesn't really explain the details. I will use the sources I have found (cited above) in order to gather good information about the book and the controversy it has taken part in.

Rough Draft Wikipedia

PART 1

The “Perks of Being a Wallflower” was published in 1999 and still in 2016, the book is controversial and being banned throughout the nation at numerous schools ("Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists").

Florida-In May of 2016, in Dade City, Florida, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was banned from Pasco County Middle School after two parents complained about the book’s sexual content and drug and alcohol use. The superintendent proceeded to remove the book from the school and tried to get the book banned district-wide. However, Terrie O’brien, a committee member, spoke up against banning the book throughout the district due to the precedent it would set, possibly leading to the banning of any book with any sexual content. Based on O’brien’s objection, the book was only banned at Pasco Middle School ("Florida School District Moves to Ban The Perks of Being a Wallflower").

Also in 2016, the Superintendent of a High School in Wallinford, Connecticut banned the book from 9^th grade English curriculum due to a parent’s complaint. The parent complained about “homosexuality, date rape, masturbation, and glorification of alcohol use and drugs” ("Perks of Being a Wallflower Banned After Parent Complains").

Still recently, in 2014, the book was banned from classrooms at Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois after being taught in 8^th grade due to language and sexual content. However, the Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 School Board brought the book back to the school library and overturned the previous banning but a parent letter had to be sent home at the beginning of the year notifying the parents of the content their kids would be exposed to in the classroom. ( "Banned Books").

In 2012, in Clarkstown, New York, the book was challenged at North High School but not banned after a parent’s complaint about teenage sex, bestiality, and homosexuality( "Banned Books").

In 2003, in Fairfax, Virginia, a group named Parents Against Bad Books in Schools challenged Perks due to its drug abuse, torture, and sexual content ("Banned Books").

PART 2

The book has been on the top 10 banned books in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013,2014 ("Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books Lists"). This shows that the controversy surrounding this book is severe. The Perks of Being a Wallflower continues to be banned or complained about due to the same reasons: sexual content, drug and alcohol content, and homosexuality.

When Author Stephen Chbosky (link) wrote “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” he did not anticipate the controversy that resulted. In an interview specifically responding to the Wallinford controversy, Chbosky explained that the date rape scene is violence, not sex, and he finds it disturbing that people think it is meant to arouse the reader ("Do I Want My Book Banned?").

Chbosky claims that, “the whole book is a blueprint for survival. It’s for people who have been through terrible things and need hope and support” (nbcconnecticut.com). He says that he is offended that people would take two pages of the whole book and put it out of context and say that the book has different intentions than the ones Chbosky clearly had ("Do I Want My Book Banned?").

Chbosky also comments on the act of banning his book and books in general. He explains that if someone objects to the content of the book or the book itself, they should be able to say that they don’t want their child reading it. However, Chbosky doesn’t think it’s okay for that parent to dictate what his child or other children read. Chbosky says that the novel is meant to “create dialogue” because he feels that the more these challenging, and sometimes disturbing, topics are discussed, the more people will understand the issues others face. Chbosky feels sad that the conversation which his book was meant to evoke is trying to be ended by people who fail to understand Chbosky’s purpose of writing the novel.  ("Do I Want My Book Banned?").