Banned Books: How Do They Reflect an Ugly Reality?

Books are the cornerstone of a sophisticated society. They’re essential to our education, guiding us through life from childhood to adulthood. They spark controversy, they have the power to wake us up, to create movements, and to scream into the silence of ignorance. Yet, in 2025, over 15,000 books have been banned—many of which were trying to do just that: Wake us up.

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We can’t discuss banned books without discussing why they’re being banned. One theme runs throughout most challenged book lists: a dystopian society. Margaret Atwood’s “A Handmaid’s Tale” portrays a reality in which women, uneducated and powerless, are forced to repopulate the republic in which they live. Without reproductive rights, women are controlled, and without education, they are suppressed.

This novel was banned due to “human sexuality,” though to hundreds around America, it seems that this isn’t the whole truth. While it was originally written about historical events, the themes within it are scarily relevant; For example, the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. As women continue fighting for their reproductive rights, it feels like we’re closer than ever to living through a dystopian fiction.

Patterns behind this restriction of media don’t end at the themes of these books. Right-leaning states are significantly more likely to control literature—regardless of whether it’s too sexual, too diverse, or too graphic. Since books have been increasingly banned in the past five years, the leading states have been Fla., Iowa, and Texas. It isn’t difficult to see a pattern, nor is it hard to think of the deeper reasoning behind these heavy restrictions.

So—what might their logic be? School board members and state organizations harp on the need to protect their children, but their actions may paint a different picture. For instance, books such as “What Girls Are Made Of”, “LGBTQ Families: The Ultimate Teen Guide”, and “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable” have all been banned in southern states. Certain themes are grounds for restriction—notably, themes surrounding diversity, racial struggles, or self-discovery within the young adult demographic.

It’s important to further understand why the average legislator might ban these books specifically. Limitations on books covering struggles of the oppressed keep us from making meaningful connections to daily life. George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, depicting a society of animals, describes the political rise of pigs while other species remain uneducated and clueless about their oppressive society. Because they are uneducated, the animals don’t realize that they’re being lied to by their rulers. Without awareness, they accept this treatment until it is irreversible. Unlike the aforementioned books, this novel was limited due to “political propaganda”, though its main themes clearly stand relevant. 

Undoubtedly, the restriction of over 15,000 books hinders America; it limits our education, our self-discovery, and our critical thinking. Freedom of the press is a right outlined in the Constitution, and yet millions face censorship of the media; Though, scarily enough, this might just be proof of the intent behind that censorship.  

Banning publications surrenders us to the cycle these stories represent. By blocking their intended audiences, they become obsolete—buried in media that is less “political”, less “diverse”, less outspoken. To fight for our right to literature, education, and awareness, we must acknowledge why that right was violated at all. Orwell once wrote, “Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.” This is far from fiction—this is reality.