In her passage, “Censorship: A Personal View,” Judy Blume talks about the great restrictions that there are in books and how censors are turning young people away from books. Throughout her passage, she provides a great amount of examples about other authors who have been censored and includes her personal experiences as well. Blume does a great job in presenting the argument about censorship by providing personal experiences, examples that include other people with her same situation, and by including a counter argument with proper language.
During the first part of her passage, Blume tells about her personal experience with censorship. Her parents and school were very protective of what books she read. As she got older, she got more and more interested in books that were prohibited, now writing controversial books that have been banned in many schools and states. Here, she talks about how censorship can be spread out by a small flame of a group of people who felt that her books, as well as many others, were inappropriate and immoral. This still happens today but the feeling is not as great. Times have changed and knowing about racy things, such as masturbation and menstruation, are highly encouraged to young people. Censorship does still exist. I have seen it when my parents do not let my younger brother read things with words like “stupid” or “damn” but they are not as strict as the censors. They still encourage us to read no matter what genre or how profound the book may be just as long as it is within our reading level and comprehensibility.
Furthermore, she also includes examples that include other people with her same situation. She provides many examples of other authors whose books have been banned or censored. Not only are authors mentioned, but also teachers and counselors who have tried to defend books that are about topics that society thinks are controversial. Those people have lost their jobs and have even got their life threatened for books they think are essential for young people to read.
Finally, Blume does a great job in including the opposite side of her argument. She does respect the opinions of the opposing side and even understands why they oppose her. Not all parents are liberal about what their children read, watch, or play. To them, it is inappropriate, but to her, it is letting young people experience and know new things that will probably help them in the future and open their minds. I feel like she has a very good point. Nobody should restrict anyone anything, especially when it comes to reading. Being able to read anything anyone wants, opens minds and helps keep away from bland, boring things.
Nayeli Rivas 