Pros And Cons Of The Catcher In The Rye

Ever since the day The Catcher in the Rye hit the shelves all the way back in 1951, it seems that it is constantly being attacked for having too much explicit content for adolescents. “In 1973 the American School Board Journal called The Catcher in the Rye the most widely censored book in the United States” (Whitfield). Yet a few years later, “By 1981, it was the second most taught book in the United States. Teenagers especially loved the book for what is taken as Holden Caulfield’s sponsorship of rebellion, combined with his promotion of drinking, smoking and sex” (McCrum). Most parents don’t think that it is a good idea for their children to read the book because they think the profanity in it will influence their children as it did for Mark David Chapman, John Hinckley, and Lee Harvey Oswald. Only if the book is taught in high school, people will understand the purpose of the book is not to influence students to do drugs and swear at all. In fact, it is doing the opposite.

The way J.D. Salinger wrote the book is a great way for teenagers to understand that idea. If the book was written without Holden rebelling against society, the book wouldn’t be as relatable. In the end it is not hard to see that Holden does not achieve maturity by rebelling. It just made him even more depressed than he already was. The Catcher in the Rye should be taught in schools because discussing the book with classmates and teachers helps bring out the deeper meaning in the book. We all have to recognize our problems and be there for each other, otherwise we’ll end up like Holden. Denying teachers from being able to discuss the book in a class setting, teenagers would miss the point and would think Holden was a foul person and had no