The article Bannings and Burnings in History traces how censorship has taken different forms across centuries, from bans that restrict access to outright destruction through burning. Both practices often stem from fears that certain ideas are dangerous, inappropriate, or offensive, yet they differ in intensity: banning removes works from circulation, while burning seeks to erase them entirely. Modern examples include challenges to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series in the United States, where critics objected to depictions of magic and witchcraft. Earlier history shows how powerful voices could escalate censorship into destruction, such as Savonarola’s “bonfires of the vanities” in Florence, which consumed books and art created by the city’s greatest talents. By presenting a timeline that spans ancient bans of Homer’s Odyssey to contemporary challenges of works like The Handmaid’s Tale and I Am Malala, the article demonstrates that censorship is a recurring phenomenon across cultures. Whether through banning or burning, the result is the same: ideas are silenced, and cultural heritage is diminished.
Reference
Freedom To Read. (2023). Bannings and Burnings in History. Freedom to Read. https://www.freedomtoread.ca/resources/bannings-and-burnings-in-history/
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