The Catcher in the Rye: Made to be Read, Not Banned

           The famously known book, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger and published in 1951, is a coming of age novel starring Holden Caulfield. This “anti-almost everyone”  (Chasan 2) book is written from the main character’s point of view. As soon as the first copy of this book was published 60 years ago, it was put in the “banned list” of many states, due to its sexual and obscene content. But what many people ask themselves is: “Why is this book still being censored and rejected after so many years?” The answer is: because people don’t want to hear the truth about what’s happening to our teenagers and to human beings around the world. Holden Caulfield is the typical picture of a teenage boy who wants attention; and profanity and sexuality are so common in his everyday life.   

When reading The Catcher in the Rye, it seemed that, since the book was written so long ago, the topics were a little off time and irrelevant to our century. But as the story kept flowing, it was noticeable how some things that happened to Holden throughout the book still happen today; like getting drunk. The truth is, many things this book contains are exactly what coming-of-age teenagers go through usually. So yes, The Catcher in the Rye is still a relevant book of our time because it projects daily adolescence trouble with sex, excessive profanity, problems, negative activity, and alcohol.

Should the teaching of The Catcher in the Rye stop? “By 1981 Catcher had the dubious distinction of being at once the most frequently censored book across the country and the second most frequently taught novel in public schools,” states Daniel Jack Chasan in his article, taking an excerpt from what Pamela Hunt Steinle wrote in In Cold Fear. The book has and is still being banned due to its “vulgar and obscene language, drunkenness, prostitution, and delinquency”(Chasan 2). It is also said to be anti-white, since it talks poorly about rich, American white families, and goes against the perfectly known picture of it. It contains degrading passages about women, God, and people with disabilities, too. The thing is, that J.D. Salinger did an excellent job picturing the imperfect yet real teenager, its family, and its many problems.

The book is being censored over and over because of showing imperfect but true reality to its readers. People don’t want to read about the terrible descriptions that Holden gives the audience, yet the descriptions fit perfectly what human beings have been transformed in. I believe the book should be taught in schools, since it warns kids and teaches them about the process of adolescence and coming of age. It contains problems and issues that many teenagers can relate to: breaking the rules, confusion about the future, looking for answers and experience, negativity, and especially depression, which was Holden’s favorite.      

The Catcher in the Rye should certainly be taught in schools because it teaches about the difficult process in becoming an adult. It gives you the general picture of teenagers and rich families, which appear to be in good state all the time but are full of problems; like the Caulfield’s. Apart from that, The Catcher in the Rye is a literary masterpiece, which consists of reading between the lines in every chapter, when you least expect it. In my opinion, J.D. Salinger did a fantastic job and an unforgettable novel that will be surely recognized forever.