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Catcher In The Rye Censorship Essay

1728 Words7 Pages

Introduction Throughout the history of arts and literature, censorship has been a widely-debated topic, often evoking controversies. It is a universally acknowledged fact that art is subjective. What one person considers heavenly can be an absolute hell for another. It is, therefore, difficult to delicately handle the strings of the sensitive matter without creating certain friends and certain foes. Although the ultimate motto must be kept in mind- “art for art’s sake”. Since its first publication in 1951, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger has been named amongst the highly controversial yet widely beloved works of art. Despite being banned in classrooms and libraries across the world, “The Catcher in the Rye” has been crowned as one of the finest pieces of literature of all times. …show more content…

Their art is not merely art; it’s a cause- to deliver to the world in written all that could not be spoken. If artists start to censor themselves, their thoughts, ideas, understanding, their truths, their will, and all of their being for the sake of offending no one, true art would cease to exist altogether. Obnoxious language usage. Alcohol abuse. Brazen sexual references. Deceitful conduct. Blasphemy. Angst. A wholesome blend of these elements were bound to create a tsunami of controversy, yet they and so much more can be found in between the pages of J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, a 1951 literary classic Despite being a constant threat in the eyes of the censor board, J.D. Salinger never let his quill shiver from being a spokesperson of his thoughts. “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, Apology for Printers

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