Literature and Film

As mediums of creative expression with mass appeal, literature and film emerge as two disciplines that have been subjects of high-profile conflicts over censorship. From authors and publishers to actors and directors, members of the literary community and film industry have been frequent targets for censorship at different periods of history.

This section explores restrictions on freedom of speech in literature and film, both on a societal level and an institutional level. On a societal level, Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber (1944) and Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses (1988) are two examples of novels that faced aggressive censorship campaigns. On an institutional level, the confiscation of Paul Robeson’s passport by the U.S. government as a result of his political speeches, as well as the trials of the House Committee on Un-American Activities following World War II, are instances of governmental prosecution of artists based on ideological views and advocacy. 

Works that address themes of racism, sexual abuse, sexuality, and enslavement are frequently attacked by censorship activists, as illustrated in this section through books like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970), Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982), and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (1952). The materials in this section offer an opportunity to investigate how and why censorship campaigns focus on works addressing these topics.