PAID 111 Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 (Fall 2023)

Throughout history, tyrants, totalitarian states, church institutions, and democratic governments alike have banned books that challenged their assumptions or questioned their activities. Political censorship was even applied to ancient Greek dramas during the Nazi occupation in 1942. Political suppression also occurs in the name of "security" and the safeguarding of official secrets, and is often used as a weapon in larger cultural or political battles.

Examines the history and issues surrounding more than one hundred works challenged for sexual content, including "Sophie's Choice" by William Styron, "Sex" by Madonna, and "Forever" by Judy Blume.

Examines the history and issues surrounding works banned because they contained language or ideas unacceptable to a religion, state, or moral standard, including "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, "The Giver" by Louis Lowry, and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain.