Censorship of Where the Wild Things Are

Abstract

In his speech celebrating the 237^<th> anniversary of the founding of the United States, President Barack Obama referred to America as "a land of liberty and opportunity." The Declaration of Independence, moreover, states that "all men are created equal" and that "they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights." Among them is freedom of speech. However, whose freedom of speech should be protected? When a country consists of diverse people from different cultural and religious backgrounds, their principles and beliefs can sometimes clash. Those people who feel uncomfortable with certain expressions often complain and demand that the government, or schools, ban them. This paper examines a frequently challenged book -Where the Wild Things Are- and its film version. Why has the book been controversial? What problematic scenes does the movie contain? Does violence or bad language have no place in children's literature?