The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Overview

This Study Guide consists of approximately 63 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Day They Came to Arrest the Book.

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Overview

This Study Guide consists of approximately 63 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Day They Came to Arrest the Book.
This section contains 313 words
(approx. 1 page at 400 words per page)
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The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Summary & Study Guide Description

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:

This detailed literature summary also contains Related Titles and a Free Quiz on The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff.

Of constant concern to every American is the First Amendment right of free speech. What should authors write, what should be published, what should be allowed in book stores, what should be studied in schools, and what should students be allowed to read— these are questions that are continually being argued by parents, teachers, students, ministers, The American Civil Liberties Union, and morality groups.

focuses on whether The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain should be on a required reading list in a high school history class.

Hentoff gives both sides of the question—that of the black father and son who object to it because of the frequent use of the word "nigger" and that of the history teacher and school librarian who want students to have the right to read and think for themselves. The book also deals with gender discrimination because of Twain's treatment of women in the novel and possible homosexuality because Huck and Jim are often naked and Jim calls Huck "honey."

This leaves readers to examine the evidence, follow the hearings, and decide for themselves whether justice was done. Hentoff describes himself as "an advocacy writer." As a member of the ACLU and a strong supporter of the freedom given in the First Amendment, Hentoff makes it clear that the history teacher and the former and present librarian should keep the book in the school.

Book censors are always at work looking at textbooks and reading lists.

The characters in this novel show that books may incur objections for many reasons. When censorship starts, it spreads over many different issues so that throwing out a book may please some extremists and infuriate others.

Students need to be able to read critically and make decisions for themselves, and The Day They Came to Arrest the Book will help them learn about the process.

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This section contains 313 words
(approx. 1 page at 400 words per page)
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