Why would the The Perks of Being a Wallflower be banned from schools?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, we live in world that is afraid of the truth. Parents are afraid to let their children learn the truth, a school parents association in the USA wanted it banned because Charley mentions his friend commits suicide, Parents automatically associate the fact that if children read about it, they might try to do the same when they become depressed.

People think that if their child reads about gay sex, it will encourage homosexuality, some of the most read literature in high school has a sexual encounter in it such as : -A mid-Summer nights dream where 4 Athenians have an orgy in the forest- they would probably ban that too if they thought they could get away with it.

The apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz- Duddy describes his sexual encounters to the audience

Romeo and Juliet- The 2 also have a sexual encounter

Most television programs even some childrens programs, at some point make a reference to sex, even if the humor or conversation isn't picked up by the younger audience.

The reason non of the above where ever banned was because they involve hetero-sexual relationships, which ultimately is what every parent want their child to be.

Many other literature studied throughout schools often involve gays being prosecuted, which is taught to be wrong, but when read no one wants to be a persecuted homosexual, Turning people off homosexuality.

The "problem" with the book 'The Perks of being a Wallflower' is that the gay relationship is never put down as a negative, many homophobic parents thought the book would encourage homosexuality, and on a subconscious level, no person wants to have a gay child. So association of homosexuality with negativity has always been approved, even if the point of view of the author is to teach about it, no one wants to explore gay relationships if it is never viewed as negative.

What most parents would rather do is pretend that no such "problems" exist, whether it is suicide, homosexuality, or recreational drug use. People are afraid of the truth and the thing they would rather do would be to try and hide the truth from there children for as long as possible.

What really makes U.S. parents to want to ban the book is that it is a novel so powerful in terms of its audience, at some point or other while reading, most teens/young adults can really relate to Charlie, using the example of recreational drugs: A parent who is truly worried and concerned about their child would rather not have their kids read a novel where the character could do as many drugs as he wanted, IF a consequence occurs, either death or imprisonment, whereas in 'the perks of being a wall flower' there are no consequences, and because no parent wants to admit to themselves, let alone to their youth that in today's world, unfortunately when the average person gets raped or abused-- there isn't often any justice, when the average person does drugs---the consequences are rarely bad, and gay relationships are natural, but in a country like the USA, which is a Christian dominated nation, they view the freedom of expression as wrong.

Answer 2

Perks was banned from countless schools because of some of the topics that it approached: homosexuality, alcohol and drugs, sex, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy... all in high school.

One of the main characters in the story is gay and his sexuality provides for one story arc within the book (and movie). Drugs and alcohol make many appearances at parties, the same goes for sex and dating. Sexual abuse, a dark topic, is one of the main story arcs, while teen pregnancy is extremely minor but still in the book.

Despite the negative reaction many schools have had to the book over the years, many schools encourage students to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower because of its quality messages. But still, read with caution.

Answer 3

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" has been banned from schools due to its themes of sex, drugs, alcohol, and mental health issues, which some consider inappropriate for younger readers. Additionally, the book contains explicit language and references to suicide which have prompted concerns among parents and educators about its suitability for school-aged children.