“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed” (Benjamin Franklin). When text contains violence, sexual matter, profanity, and other offensive material, it is bound to be challenged or banned (banned books). In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger explains many sexual explicitness and repulsive language. As a result, the book was banned in many schools.
Censorship is the elimination of offensive words, images, and ideas. Censorship occurs when others infringe their opinions or values on society. The United States Supreme Court can also suppress sexual speech. (What is Censorship). Most books are banned because they are not appropriate for young readers. If a book does not meet the “moral standards,” it could be censored (banned books). Butler v. State of Michigan case ruled that Minors can read the same material as adults. However, the Jacobellis v. Ohio case held “national” and “community” standards, which the Catcher in the Rye did not meet (Wilson).
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The postwar time was filled with growth and luxury compared to the life during the war that lasted from 1929-1945. Along with the war was the era of The Great Depression. The Catcher in the Rye occurs in 1946, one year after the war ended. This year consisted of positivity and celebration, unlike the lifestyle in The Catcher in the Rye. The book is written in the perspective of Holden, which is much different than the views of people in this time. He sees the adult world as phony, which he states many times throughout the story. He speaks about the realities of life, whereas others are caught up in the new beginnings after a tragic time. Because of this, people are not happy with the way the book is written. Parents were extremely unhappy with the idea of their children reading this book because it went against their moral values