This is a proposal for a research paper to be done for English 252. In the proposal I discuss the possibility of researching the banned books list and it’s affects on students and individuals.

In English classrooms all over the nation, it has become common to be discussing a certain book and for someone to add, “That’s on the banned book list,”. The following conversation can be broken down into a few steps, first shock falls on the crowd, then people throw around reasons for the ban until a consensus is made, and finally, others start throwing in other random books that are on the list. Summarizing all these books into one list is hard to do however because there are multiple lists, and certain books might only be banned in certain settings. Making it difficult to come to one definitive list of banned books (Pen America). Every state has reasons for banning certain books, what are their effects? Are these book banns helping students, or are they making it more difficult for students to access good literature? 

I wanted to research this topic because I’m a big reader and many of my favorite books have ended up on certain banned book lists. In just 2024 the American Library Association reported another 1,128 books were being challenged. For many of these books that end up on the list, I believe there is something everyone could stand to gain so if they’re being kept from young readers I’d like to understand why. I don’t wish to convince myself of one way or the other. There are a lot of words thrown around on both sides but I want to find the evidence that backs it up before drawing any particular conclusions. I’d particularly be interested in looking for evidence of the effects of a book ban. There are benefits to reading classic books like 1984 and To Kill a Mockingbird but what are the effects if someone misses out on reading them? Then on the other side, are there benefits to students not seeing these books in their schools? Will it aid their development to wait to read these books until graduation or college? No matter what the answer may be I want to understand the list’s purpose and effects on society besides being a conversation piece.