Banned Books: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

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The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger


                Holden Caulfield just failed all but one of his classes and is being expelled from yet another school. But he has no remorse. Why? Because he hates the phonies. Can’t stand them, doesn’t understand them and doesn’t want to be around them. So he deliberately cuts class, doesn’t study and eventually gets kicked out, of all the schools he’s attended. As he wanders through the streets of New York, trying to decide when he should return to his home and the anger of his parents, he reflects and observes the people he has had in his life. In his mind, every encounter affirms his beliefs. It’s not him, it’s them.
                There is something about The Catcher in the Rye that sticks with people. I remember reading this book in high school and being able to relate to the angst-filled dialogue, the analyzing of others behavior and the belief that I alone was different. This novel affirms that everyone goes through a phase, not to the extent of Holden but a phase none the less, where we became overtly critical of the masses and try to separate ourselves as much as possible. Through the eyes of Holden everyone is criticized and judged. There are very few people that Holden comes across that he is able to praise, two of which are his siblings: his deceased brother and his kid sister. Everyone else, including his parents, can be deemed worthless. Holden has a very honest but somber view on life and it’s holding him back from experiencing many things. Holden is great at finding fault with everyone but himself, and his inability to recognize where he needs to change is ruining him and his future.
                J.D. Salinger did such a great job with this novel. To put it plainly, he was able to transport readers into the mind of a teenage boy, who is obviously still trying to figure things out. More importantly he was able to make readers see pieces of themselves in Holden. I’m not Holden, thankfully, but I have had those moments where I was frustrated by everyone around me. People can relate to
Holden’s struggle. People will always be able to relate to Holden. This book has been banned for numerous reasons. According to the American Library Association it has been seen as anti-white, unmoral, and full of profanity and sexual connotations. I think more people are simply caught off guard by Holden’s attitude about life and live in fear that such an attitude could affect their child’s mind so they fight to keep it out of schools and libraries. Holden represents one of the many. His story has to be told and shared if we can ever truly understand how others view the world, how they view us and how we should view ourselves.


http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons   Retrieved 02/19/2014

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