Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, while full of profanity and violence, should be kept on the shelves and on teenage reading lists because of its message on growing up, and the ability to experience society’s flaws from an adolescent view. The book caused quite a debate on the first amendment and where the lines should be drawn regarding freedom of expression. This book has been challenged and banned a countless amount of times. But, this book has so much value and can teach you so many things regarding loss, growing up, and feeling alone.
“Most Americans agree that the First Amendment right to freedom of expression is one of the most sacred provisions of the US Constitution, a cornerstone of American democratic values” (“Book Banning”). Despite this, many Americans have debated over the idea of free speech throughout time. Thousands of books are banned and destroyed by means of burning and by being removed from the shelves because they are considered obscene, vulgar, and a threat to our morals and well-being. The subject of book banning is an extremely controversial topic. People would think that this topic isn’t hard to deal with, considering that freedom of speech is a right, but really, it is a very dicey topic. There are many forms of written expression that could be potentially harmful, whether they promote hatred, offend a group of people, compromise national security, spread lies, or expose young readers to information they may not be mature enough to understand (“Book Banning”). When one considers the myriad individual scenarios in which a decision must be made about whether a certain book should be printed, distributed, purchased with public tax dollars, displayed on a shelf, or assigned in a classroom, it becomes easier to understand why people disagree (“Book Banning”). ” The idea of banning books began when the Puritans in the colonial United States banned books that had different religious beliefs than them. In 1873, the United States put the Comstock Law into place, a federal ban on certain pieces of literature considered vulgar to the public. But, in 1983, the Supreme Court declared the Comstock Law unconstitutional. The law was used for over a century and was used to hide literature that reference homosexuality, sex, and birth control. Books are considered for banning every year by teachers, religious organizations, and parents. They challenge libraries by trying to get rid of books that include sexual content and vulgar language. But, there are people who are against book banning and believe that parents deserve the right to choose what their child should be exposed to. Overall, most people believe that not one person should decide for a whole community what they can and can not read. An example of book banning was in 1982, with the Supreme Court case Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico by Pico, which is considered one of the most important cases regarding book banning and the first amendment. The case was specifically regarding the New York school district’s removal of books from libraries without referring to a board designated to book banning. The school district removed books without following the recommendations of the committee. The Supreme Court decided that the district was violating the children’s first amendment rights by removing the books.
“Catcher in the Rye is a story about a middle-class, adolescent boy in the 1950s, who confronts a crisis in his own life by escaping into the disordered and chaotic adult world.” The story is told from the main character, Holden Caulfield’s, point of view. The story is told in a 48-hour span, where Holden experiences the harsh reality of society. As he sees the world, he confronts issues with sex, society, and American Values. He tries to push back the way he feels about society, but the “phoniness” of it all is constantly in his face. The book contains sexual references, violence, and profanity. Because of these things, it has been subject to complaints. It has been challenged and/or banned in schools all over the country and the world.
This book has been challenged in a countless amount of schools since it came out in 1951. In 1960, the book was challenged when a high school teacher assigned it to his eleventh grade English class. He was fired and later reinstated, but the book was removed from the school. “In 1963, a delegation of parents of high school students in Columbus, Ohio, asked the school board to ban the novel for being “anti-white” and “obscene.”The school board denied their demands. The book continued to be challenged in 1975 when, in Selinsgrove, Pa, it was removed from the suggested school reading list, due to parents’ objections to the language; the board voted 5 to 4 to ban the book. The book was challenged in Limestone County, Alabama due to its language, but managed to remain on the shelves. The same thing happened in a school in Savannah, Georgia in 2000, when a parent complained about the violence and profanity in this book. In one case, in Summerville, South Carolina, the book was removed because it was a “filthy, filthy book.”
This book has been disapproved by many and was even the most frequently banned book in school between 1966 and 1975. But, it has been a target of banning ever since it was published in 1951. For example, in 1957, Australian Customs seized a shipment of Catcher in the Rye That was given to them by the U.S ambassador. The book was released, but the government commented that the book had vulgar language and obscene content. They were against the main characters inappropriate behavior. For example, this book was removed from all school libraries in Manitoba in 1982 because it has “excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult”. It was banned from English class in Funiak Springs, Florida in 1985 because it was considered “unacceptable” and “obscene”. The book was challenged at Linton Stockton High School in 1988 because it was “blasphemous and undermines morality”. It was banned in a California high school a year later because of its language. Challenged at the Jamaica High School in Sidell, III. (1992) because of the book container profanities and depicted premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution.
There are even more examples of this book getting banned. One example is at the Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Georgia in 1997. A student was against the language and sexual references found numerous times in this book. Catcher in the Rye was removed by the school superintendent in Marysville California. He removed it to “get it out of the way so that we didn’t have that polarization over a book”. There was a ton of controversy in 1999 when a parent complained about the sexual references in this book at Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Georgia. Parents also complained about the violence and harsh language.
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, is an excellent book with so many valuable life lessons taught. The book is narrated by 16-year-old Holden Caulfield in the 1950s. He recalls a time after he was expelled from his private school and experienced the world as an adult. He leaves school two days before he is supposed to and ventures into New York City on his own. Along the way, he encounters strippers, old friends, and his sister. The story touches on dealing with death and growing up.
An important topic in this book is Holden’s struggle with death. Throughout the book, Holden is riddled with memories of his brother, Allie, who died a few years ago. Allie was the perfect kid, and had all the qualities Holden wishes he had. Holden thinks about Allie in times of stress. Allie is a constant thought in Holden’s mind, a reminder of innocence and purity, and he also acts as an angel to him, keeping Holden from floating away from society. Holden portrays Allie in a way that most children who go through death would. I think that this is really important in deciding whether or not this book should be banned. This book goes over rough topics that teenagers should be exposed to. Another example would be sex. In the book, Holden obsesses over sex as much as he fears it. This is insanely common in teenagers today and is a topic rarely talked about. This gives kids another thing they can relate to. Sex is very controversial in terms of whether or not it should be discussed in school, but for teenagers, discussion about sex is inevitable whether parents and teachers like it or not.
Catcher in the Rye is typically banned for its profanity. Yes, it does include rough language, but nothing more than what you would hear in a PG-13 movie. If the language is acceptable in movies for kids in middle school, why wouldn’t it be accepted in a high school? For teenagers, profanity is unavoidable. You hear it everywhere, from in the halls, to in a movie, a show, a magazine, and more. Getting rid of one book would do nothing. In addition, getting rid of a book due to its language would be violating the First Amendment right, freedom of expression. The First Amendment applies to everyone, and by removing the book from the shelves, you would be denying people their rights to receive information. People have the right to read anything that they desire.
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, while full of profanity and sexual references, should not be banned or removed from bookshelves, because of its message on growing up, and the experience of society from an adolescent view. The book touches down on important topics such as sex and dealing with loss and growing up. The book has profanity that can be handled by a teenager. Banning the book would deprive people of their First Amendment right, as well as being able to experience the world as a teenager would.
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Commentary:
The student in this essay argues against the banning of The Catcher in the Rye, citing its literary value and importance in addressing important issues. Here are some additional points that could be made in favor of or against the student’s argument:
In favor:
- The Catcher in the Rye has been praised as a masterpiece of American literature, with its themes of alienation, loss of innocence, and identity resonating with readers of all ages.
- Banning books sets a dangerous precedent and infringes on the freedom of expression and the right to read. People should be able to access literature that challenges their beliefs and ideas, even if it may be uncomfortable or controversial.
- The concerns raised by those who advocate for the banning of The Catcher in the Rye, such as its use of profanity and sexual content, are minor compared to the important themes and issues addressed in the novel.
Against:
- The Catcher in the Rye contains sensitive subject matter, such as suicide and mental illness, which could be harmful or triggering to some readers, particularly young people.
- The use of profanity and sexual content in the novel may be inappropriate for younger readers, who may not have the maturity to understand or handle these topics.
- While The Catcher in the Rye has important themes and messages, there are other books and resources available that address these issues in a more age-appropriate and sensitive manner.