20 Essential College Reads That Used to Be Banned
Guest post

College is the perfect time to immerse yourself in modern classics and literary hallmarks, whether they're required reading for an English or humanities course or whether you just want to expand your horizons and learn about the history of the written word. However, many of the books today's students take for granted were at one point banned from student access at certain institutions, as a result of a reactionary culture or worry over what students could handle. The formerly banned books on this list inhabit every genre and era, but they all have in common a desire to change the way readers see the world. As you work through this list, keep in mind that you're reading a book that, maybe not that long ago, would have been hard to come by.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald's classic novel was challenged for its language and references to sex.

Beloved, Toni Morrison: This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about slavery has been challenged for language, sexual situations, and violence.

The Lord of the Flies, William Golding: Golding's classic story about the inhuman depths of the human heart has been blacklisted because of its perceived negative message and for its violence and some racist terms pertaining to the era.

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck: Steinbeck's slender Depression-era tale has been blocked by numerous schools for its use of adult language, racial slurs, and violence.

Charlotte's Web, E. B. White: This children's novel about a talented pig was nevertheless restricted for some children because of the dark undertone of death and sacrifice.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce:

1984, George Orwell: The author's stirring novel of a futuristic dystopia was banned for its explicit situations.

Catch-22, Joseph Heller: Heller's fast-paced satire of war and sanity was blocked for language and sexual terminology.

 Brave New World, Aldous Huxley: This look into society's future and people's propensity for trivial entertainment was banned for its casual sex, drug use, and moral ambiguity.

Animal Farm, George Orwell: Originally subtitled "A Fairy Story," Orwell's parable of the dangers of political oppression has been challenged for its adult subject matter, and the anti-Soviet tale even had trouble finding a publisher.

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway: Like most of the books on this list, Hemingway's novel of American expatriates in 1920s Europe was banned because its adult topics were deemed too rough for younger readers.

As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner: Faulkner's 1930 novel, which relies on a stream of consciousness style, was banned for its discussion of abortion, masturbation, and profanity.
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway: One of the countries to ban Hemingway's World War I novel was Italy, who objected to the depiction (albeit an accurate one) of the Italian retreat from Caporetto. It was also blocked for its sexual situations.

The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner: The novel that helped bolster Faulkner's credibility has been challenged for its adult story and focus on a mentally handicapped character.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: Another Pulitzer winner, Harper Lee's 1960 novel is a moving tale of race and redemption that was nevertheless banned by some schools for language concerns and its progressive values.

The Color Purple, Alice Walker: This stirring novel of African-American women in the 1930s, told in the form of letters and diaries, was banned for its graphic sexuality and complicated view of history.

The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger: Salinger's novel was originally aimed at adults but became an educational staple for its story about a young boy coming of age. It was heavily challenged in the 1960s by schools that objected to its language, alcohol use, and sex.

The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and one of the contributing factors to Steinbeck's winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, this 1939 novel has been banned for its profanity and coarse references to God.

Ulysses, James Joyce: A hallmark in modernist literature, Joyce's novel was banned early on with allegations of obscenity.

 Lolita, Vladmir Nabokov: This infamous novel about a man in love with a young girl has been banned by certain institutions around the world for its frank sexuality.

Footnote:
This guest post is contributed by Alvina Lopez, who writes on the topics of accredited online college.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez@gmail.com.