Suppression of Thought

Political Bans and Societal Constraints

Authors

  • Nicholas J. Karolides University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Abstract

Political and societal insecurities are the bases of most censorship activities, each representing suppression of freedom of expression. Governments — from military dictatorships to democracies — are concerned with security, corruption charges, and embarrassing revelations. And when a society's moral norms seem to be challenged in literary works, officials and citizens may reject the texts to protect the "innocent." With regard to political banning, the presumed assumptions about censorial governments and the reality of censorship by nations on both sides of the political divide are examined and illustrated. The societal segment acknowledges the longevity and nature of literary obscenity and the evolving jurisprudence, significantly clarifying the definition of obscenity, supporting the freedoms of expression.

Author Biography

  • Nicholas J. Karolides, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

    Nicholas J. Karolides (b. 1928), Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, has authored Encyclopedia of Censorship (rev. ed.) and Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds; edited/co-edited three collections defending banned books; and edited three texts applying reader-response literary theory to classroom pedagogy. He has been honored with the UWRF Distinguished Professor Award and University of Wisconsin System Regents Teaching Excellence Award.

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Published

2026-05-04

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 2 (2008): Censuur

Section

Main Section

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Karolides, N. J. (2026). Suppression of Thought: Political Bans and Societal Constraints. FRAME, Journal of Literary Studies, 21(2), 26-43. https://platform.openjournals.nl/FRAME/article/view/27490