The Catcher In the Rye Should Not be Banned Essay

Supporters of banning say profanity can negatively influence the actions and thoughts of readers, especially younger readers that may not have heard or read many corrupt words. Huckleberry Finn, a book commonly inveighed for its use of contentious racial language, is commonly challenged for that reason. For USA Today, Martha Moore wrote, “When the younger reader is staring at that word five times on a given page and the instructor is saying, 'Mark Twain didn't mean this and you have to read it with an appreciation of irony,' you're asking a lot of a younger reader”. Granted, foul vocabulary is a challenge that academies need to address, but not through barring novels. Besides, if the reader is sufficiently mature for the book, they can still learn from it. For instance, some racial characterizations do not intentionally persecute people, but show the contrasting tensions between them, conforming to the time period. Again, the article “Huck Finn Navigating Choppy Waters Again” revealed, “The word is there for a reason… The word is terrible, it's hurtful, but it's there for a reason” (Moore). The racial epithets used in that book convey the attitude of Missouri in the 1840s when friction between African Americans and white people was rising. Additionally, banning a book due to concerns about the language is not beneficial to pupils because it prevents them from learning from other components of the book. “Often the organizations or schools that ban these books fail to see the book as a whole; they often center on the one page, the one scene or even the one word containing the offensive language or meaning and judge the whole book based on that one aspect,” according to an article by Adriana Lopez. She makes a sound point. A book contains a whole plot with themes that

“ I ordered a scotch and soda and told him not to mix it – I said it fast as hell, because if you hem and haw, they think you are under twenty-one and won’t sell you any intoxicating liquor.” Quoted from Holden Caulfield the smoking, cursing, drinking prostitute soliciting, protagonist of the novel, The Catcher In the Rye. The novel follows only a few days of Holden’s life, but exploits Holden’s reckless behavior and poor decision making skills; therefore encouraging bad behavior on young readers. The story also follows a constant repetition of inappropriate words and swears; that one might consider profane. Lastly the story contains inappropriate scenes and dialogue that is sexually explicit. The adult content found in this novel makes

For many years people have argued about the inclusion of The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger in the high school english curriculum. This is such due to the inappropriate and adult oriented themes within If considered, many times within the novel the main character will face situations in which that the negative and vulgar themes will blossom into something meaningful that the reader can benefit from as a person and as a student. While the vulgarity and adult themes in The Catcher in the Rye are indeed inappropriate for adolescent students, ultimately its underlying themes of self discovery and possessing moral values provides life and ethical lessons that can be applied in the classroom as well as on a daily basis and therefore, the

The language used in The Catcher in the Rye has long been a topic of controversy in the literary critic's realm. Holden Caulfield's thoughts and comments serve to deepen his personality and to provide entertainment. Salinger

Another reason as to why I believe The Catcher in the Rye should be available to all students above elementary school is because censoring it would be ignoring the first amendment rights of free speech. “If librarians caved into every demand to remove materials from their collections, they would not have much left to put on the shelves. Only materials that offended no one would be spared. Such a situation might appeal to some people, but it would not serve the needs of our democracy or satisfy the constitutional requirements for free speech.” (Steffens). Including a diverse selection of books in a library or school setting would be the promotion of free speech and a diverse selection of opinions and views. However, if books keep getting censored and removed, that would be ignoring the first amendment and almost all opinion-based materials would be gone. Secondly, “As agents of the government, libraries are bound by the Constitution to promote free speech and diversity of opinion.” (Steffens).

There are people who would like to see The Catcher in the Rye banned from our schools because it contains disturbing issues. In my opinion they are overlooking the message that J.D. Salinger was trying to communicate. In this novel, the characters exhibit a wide scope of behaviors from honorable to ignominious. The novel presents issues such as respect for religion, or lack thereof. As though these issues were not enough by themselves, there is also the subject of intolerance of others. How, may you ask, should this novel be allowed in our schools? Well, the answer lies deep within the symbolism of the novel,

If there are 785 instances of profanity in the book, I contend there are well over a hundred scenes where Holden used the word depressed.  D"Ambrosio presents this same thought saying, "It should be obvious by now that I don't see The Catcher in the Rye as

The Catcher in the Rye has been an instant classic since it was first published. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller list along with being among the most banned books in the U.S. It has been banned for its harsh language and bad behavior. But truly these are not good reasons to ban a book; a book that is so enjoyed by many readers and the reality of the protagonist. It is never good to hear profound language but the book is just showing how the teenage world actually is in many cases. Most teenagers are going threw a lot at that time in their lives, not always to the extreme like Holdren, but hard times none the less. The language in the book is nothing teens are not

J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, is one of the most controversial books ever written. The book has been banned in many places, while at the same time being viewed as an American classic. There is a great deal of controversy on banning the book in schools across America, due to it’s content. The story follows a mentally ill teen, Holden Caulfield, delving into his thoughts and feelings. The Catcher in the Rye should be banned for it's many controversial views and topics, including the use of vulgar language, illegal activities, it’s association with assassinations and its suicidal content.

The main reasons why Catcher in the Rye was banned in the mid-late 20th century was, not only because of language and sexual situations, but also because of Holden’s possible bad influence on readers. Parents were worried that their children could end up like Holden: kicked out of schools, smoking, depressed, and angry. But, in reality, all teenagers will go through a kind of “rebellion” stage, just like Holden.

There have been many cases of censorship for this book, one instance being at Venado Middle School in Irvine, California in 1992. Students were provided the book, only to have all the “hells” and “damns” blacked out. After parents, students, and media protested, the school eventually gave in and agreed to discontinue the use of the censored copies. The initial reasoning of this censorship was to dissuade the use of profanity in their students. However, according to Cursing in America by Timothy Jay, one of the leading scholars in profanity, the average adolescent uses 80-90 swear words in a day. Undoubtedly, some being much worse than “hell” or “damn”. It is not just in casual locations where youth swear, but it is increasing in the classroom as well. Students are

What makes The Catcher in the Rye such an offensive book? The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is narrated by Holden Caulfied, a 16-year-old boy who struggles with school, family and possibly a mental illness. The novel has been banned in some schools because of the excessive use of vulgar language, violence, and multiple instances of inappropriate behaviors. The Catcher in the Rye should not be banned because it brings light to issues that many teenagers encounter, teaches lessons in morality and normalizes the idea of mental illness.

Censorship -the prohibition of books, movies and other forms of media- is a prevalent issue that has detrimentally affects our society by suppressing knowledge to the people. High schools all over the nation have banned novels such as the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, and To Kill a Mockingbird; classics that have shaped literature. For decades now, Catcher in the Rye has been subjected to criticism and controversy due to the contentious topics it contains. The novel portrays the life of a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield whose journey through his teenage years contain many practical pressures and dilemmas. Through the profanity and atrocious events in novel, author J.D. Salinger’s skillful writing deals with ubiquitous

The Catcher in the Rye written by J. D. Salinger is a book written in 1951. IT is considered to be one of the greatest books, it has also become very controversial all throughout the world. We begin the book Narrated by Holden Caulfield, a 17 year old boy (by the end of the novel). Holden is speaking to us from a mental war inside of southern California. He begins the novel by telling us about events that happened during the previous December. The novel begins the Saturday after the end of classes at the Pencey prep school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. The rest of the story is a long flashback constructed by Holden. Pencey is Holden’s fourth school; he has already been kicked out of three others.In Pencey he has failed 4 out of 5 classes. Holden is on the way to his teachers Spencer’s house. He has been expelled from Pencey Prep and is not to return the following Wednesday once Christmas break is over. He is not

Holden Caulfield, a boy who struggles with his mental health, starts his story by saying, “I’m not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas” (Salinger 3). Published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger depicts a three-day journey of Holden as he tries to find out more about himself. Through his struggle, Holden experiences many obstacles and events, such as depression and profanity, that take place in most teenager’s lives, making the book a primary target for banning due to offensive language, suicidal tendencies, sexual content, violence, and outright negativity (Information). Though The Catcher in the Rye contains controversial topics, such as depression, vulgar language, and sexual discrimination, the novel is still relevant and relatable to teens today; therefore, the story should remain an option for students to read.