logo

54 pages 1 hour read

Nat Hentoff

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1982

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Further Reading & Resources

Further Reading: Literature

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)

This novel about a runaway boy and his companion, an escaped slave who raft down the Mississippi River, has been controversial for several reasons since its publication in 1884. The censorship controversy at the heart of The Day They Came to Arrest the Book centers around this novel.

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain (1894)

Twain’s humorous story of a white infant swapped at birth with a biracial child in the pre-Civil War South. Like Huckleberry Finn, this satirical novel covers themes of racial and social identity and reflects Twain’s commentary on class structures.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

Originally published in 1953, this is Bradbury’s dystopian fantasy about a world where books are prohibited and reading them is a crime. The premise of extreme literary censorship Fahrenheit 451 resonates with the characters in The Day They Came to Arrest the Book; Luke directly references it within the story.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 54 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,550+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools