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Why Catcher In The Rye Should Not Be Banned

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The Catcher In The Rye is a story about a 16-year-old boy named Holden born in New York City. In the story, Holden Caulfield is a teenager navigating his way through the world. The Book has been banned by schools and libraries for years for having specific content that is not appropriate for adolescents and younger students. However, despite these conveniences, the Catcher in the Rye should not be banned from school because Holden is relatable to younger generations and because it teaches concepts teens need to learn. One reason the Catcher in the Rye should not be banned is that Holden Caulfield is the best representation of the younger generation because he deals with depression. In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger shows his depression …show more content…

The article Teenagers, 1946- present talks about the evolution of teenagers from 1946 to present-day shows that, “...and hairstyles became a major symbol of teens' rejection of the middle class.” (2) In the 1950s students showed their rebellion through their appearance to try and impersonate their favorite singer or whoever and this led to a major change in dress code in schools in the 1950s. Just like teens today and Holden, they both share similarities of being rebellious. Holden shows his rebellious side by drinking and smoking and acting like an adult just as teens today do as well. In the Catcher, Psychs it states how the Catcher of Rye talks about how Holden has an identity crisis and it shows that “In our society, this means that adolescents can engage in behaviors that are not allowed for adults.” (152-154) This is an important factor in a teenager’s identity crisis because most teens today and even Holden smoke or drink to flush the pain that they store out. They think that drinking or smoking or whatever can help them effectively forget about the pain for even a split second. We see this in the Catcher of the Rye with Holden a lot too; he often drinks or smokes when speaking about his problems or goes to bars whenever he's

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1082 Words | 5 Pages

While reading the Catcher in the Rye, Holden exhibits depressive acts and focuses on the past. Salinger portrays Holden as a sixteen year old who has the inability to grow up, but is still interested in the adult life, with sexual venture and drinking. While also being focused on holding on to his innocence, and the innocence around

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2122 Words | 9 Pages

J.D Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye, follows the main character, Holden Caulfield, and his experiences that lead him to be talking to a mental therapist. Told through Holden’s eyes, his profane and blunt explanations of major moments in his life allow readers to see that Holden is not crazy but is actually struggling with transitioning from child to adult. Throughout the story, he fondly remembers his early childhood and is trying the best he can to run from adulthood. He fears that he, like so many around him, may become phony when he becomes an adult. This fear drives his actions and gives him a feeling of hatred toward phony adults and a feeling of obligation to shield children from the harsh adult world.

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917 Words | 4 Pages

The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger brings us to Holden Caulfield, a young boy going through the transition of childhood to adulthood. Throughout the novel we get to see the journey that Holden is taking and the little symbols that are tied in the novel representing him. Holden has a very interesting perspective about how he preserves the world. He hates change and has this idea that changing into an adult ultimately leads you to becoming a phony and Holden despises phonies. In the novel there are many symbols that expose Holden in ways that he doesn’t want himself to be revealed.

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858 Words | 4 Pages

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, focuses on a young man–Holden Caulfield–who fears growing up. Throughout the book, Holden struggles to accept that he is entering the “phony” world of adulthood. He has rebelled in various ways to prove that he has control over his life; however, the one thing Holden yearns to control is the inevitable change of growing older. J.D. Salinger uses symbolism and point of view to convey the theme of this book: fear of change and growing up. The fear of entering the adult world can lead somebody to protect themselves to avoid failure of fitting in.

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656 Words | 3 Pages

The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” was about the journey of a adolescent boy finding his way to adulthood. In the book Holden Caulfield was unsuccessful in finding his way to adulthood. Holden’s attitude in the novel throughout his journey was very immature. He also can't accept the fact that innocence can’t be forever protected. Lastly, Holden calls everyone a phony when in reality he is the real phony.

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330 Words | 2 Pages

While it is clear that teenagers typically suffer from mood swings and unsettling behavior, this is not the case for Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. J.D Salinger portrays his protagonist, Holden, as a cynical and unstable character whose issues may seem dismal; however, his actions and recurring thoughts prove to be much graver than expected and correspond to many of the signs of a psychological disorder described in the article “What’s Normal and What’s Not”. Often, Holden does appear to be dealing and coping with his issues like any other teenager. For example his cynical judgements, listless attitude, and need for independence can very well be perceived as normal rebellious behaviors seen in adolescents.

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672 Words | 3 Pages

The ‘catcher in the Rye’ is a good example of a troubled kid trying to find his own character in the world. Salinger’s view of the world is lived out through Holden’s character. The novel is Holden’s steam of conscience as he introduces his feelings on people being “phonies”. At the start of the novel in chapter two Holden says, “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies” (Salinger pg. 17). This is an important part for the theme because this is the first time in the book

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706 Words | 3 Pages

Holden’s Greatest Challenge In a shocking article, Addictions, lack of motivation, and even suicide can be caused by depression. J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel, The Catcher in the Rye, shows a sensitive, lonely 16-year old who has gone to New York and experiences many dilemmas between himself and other people. Depression is Holden’s greatest challenge because it affects his thinking and actions. Although some may think growing up is Holden’s greatest challenge, it is not since Holden’s daily life is filled with sadness.

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407 Words | 2 Pages

Holden Caulfield, captures the American reality of teens through anxiety and mental health in the book The Catcher In The Rye. Caufield is afraid of adulthood and the responsibilities that come with growing up. He suffers from depression and anxiety. These mental health issues were likely a cause from the death of his little brother, his witnessing the death of his classmate, and the violence and unhealthy environment in the all boys boarding school. Holden Caufield’s mental health challenges reflect a reality in America that most teens are dealing with some level of stress and anxiety and how those shape their behavior as they become young adults.

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1400 Words | 6 Pages

Purpose: To show how a small change in choice could affect holden’s life The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy from New York. The novel starts with Holden, writing in his book, hinting that he is in some sort of mental facility .Even though he comes from a wealthy family,because of his loss of interest in studies,and low grades, he gets expelled from all schools he has studied in .Holden leaves his final school, Pency Prep and decides that he will stay in New York City until his parents learn of his expulsion and “cool down” .Most of the novel is dedicated to Holden’s time in the city, Holden lives in a hotel room for a few days during his stay .Holden then starts meeting with people that he used know, some strangers and goes to places with. From his conversations, he

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859 Words | 4 Pages

In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the immature mentality of typical teenagers through Holden’s childish curiosity. Teens experience

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1862 Words | 8 Pages

As of 2013, the adult illiterate population rests at 756,631,055 people, many of whom are illiterate because they are denied, or lack access, to education. Many countries argue that education is a right for of all its people, but others claim that education is a privilege for only the wealthy or deserving. The topic of education being a privilege or a right is one that affects all people of the world, and the countries that they live in. Overall, any decision on whether education is ultimately a right or privilege is one that would dramatically change education systems worldwide, not only in developed countries, but also in some underdeveloped countries who deprive their people of knowledge. While many countries around the world agree with and support the idea that education is a right, a presence of the argument that education is a privilege for various reasons,

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1571 Words | 7 Pages

The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden Caulfield who is a teenager growing up in the 1950’s in New York, has been expelled from school once again for poor achievement. In order to deal with his failure, Holden decides to leave school a few days before the end of the term and escapes to New York before returning to his home for the punishment. Written entirely in first person, the book describes Holden’s experiences and thoughts over the few days he takes for himself. During these few days Holden describes a nervous breakdown he experiences with symptoms of unexplained depression, impulsive spending, and unpredictable behavior. The strongest theme in The Catcher in the Rye is the main character Holden Caulfield 's fascination

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1035 Words | 5 Pages

From the outset, I have to say that “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger has been one of the most important and influential pieces of literature I have ever read. At its core, the book is a superb coming of age novel which discusses several extremely powerful themes such as the difficulties of growing up, teenage angst and alienation and the superficiality, hypocrisy and pretension of the adult world. These themes resonated deeply with me and were portrayed excellently through the use of powerful symbolism and the creation of highly relatable and likable characters. One such character is Holden Caulfield whom the story both revolves around and is narrated by.

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1100 Words | 5 Pages

Rebellion is the Key In today’s world, rebellion is viewed as a negative action, but it’s a part of human nature as well as a crucial part of growing up for teenagers. It is especially important for the main character Holden in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. Holden not only gains new experiences from his rebellions, but it is what allows Holden to truly accept the adult society. Holden’s constant rebellious nature from his school to his red hunting hat are a result of him attempting to stand out in society.

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