Examine the politics of contemporary literature that has been banned or challenged across the U. S. Explore the changing definition of "obscenity", the implications of the First Amendment that specifies the right to free speech, the reasons for banning books, and those who decide what literature is offensive. Review the plot, characters, setting, narrative structure and theme of such banned books as: The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison, The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy as well as some short stories and poems. Critique the explanation of the necessity or not to justify censorship in a free society.
