The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss was challenged due to its abundance in racism; however, this book should not be banned because it teaches high school students about history. Not one individual should have to go through the dreading life Jews have been through during World War II, as Adolf Hitler was creating rules and regulations that affected the way Jews in Holland lived. The book “The Upstairs Room” has been banned with others of books through the years of 2000-2009. My argument on this book being banned is the fact that this book has no content that is explicit enough to make it necessary to ban this book. The book reveals no material that should be kept from high schools as “The Upstairs Room” involves the details of Jews and their conditions of living during World War II.
Firstly, the book “The Upstairs Room” was banned for having the neglect of Jews after Hitler sent his Nazis to spectate and take in any Jews who were not following the rules of Hitler’s regulations he added to a tree. An example of how the rules were separating Jews from the rest of Winterswijk, Holland is when regular school children started making tease of a two Jewish girls. A song was sung to tease them and they sang “Jew, Jew, you ugly mole, stick your face in a dirty hole. Stick your face in a mustard pot, by tomorrow Jew will rot!”(14) This statement may offend many and can cause a dilemma. The book also shows how being a Jew meant being separated as a show said “But, Ma, they’re Germans” (84) The idea of separation can be offensive.
Admittedly, the book is not meant to harm people nor does it have material that should be kept private. The book should not have been banned because there is only discrimination toward Jews. Secondly, this discrimination was during World War II therefore, there was no balance in the world. Jews had no chance against Hitler’s army of the retched Nazis and the methods of Hitler’s torture. On the other end, there were two sisters who were Jews, and...