Why was Catcher in the Rye banned?

The Catcher in the Rye has been challenged several times for its “excessive vulgar language, sexual scenes, and things concerning moral issues” (Sova).

Was the book Catcher in the Rye ever banned?

Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. The book was briefly banned in the Issaquah, Washington, high schools in 1978 when three members of the School Board alleged the book was part of an "overall communist plot."

How many times has The Catcher in the Rye been banned?

Between 1986 and 2000, at least nine different attempts to remove The Catcher in the Rye from schools were based on the novel's use of profanity and sexual references. Three of these attempts (Wyoming in 1986, North Dakota in 1987, and 1989 in California) were successful in getting the book removed.

Was Catcher in the Rye controversial?

Published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger's Bildungsroman about sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, is one of the most controversial novels in recent U.S. history. Since the early 1960s, disputes over Catcher in the Rye have arisen in more than seventy communities across the United States.

Who first banned The Catcher in the Rye?

The first record of it being banned was in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, high school in 1960. Since then, more than 30 similar incidences have been recorded across the country. Complaints range from its sexual content to racism; however, despite the controversy, the book continues to be popular, with 65 million copies sold.

Why is The Catcher In The Rye banned in some school districts?

What's the big deal with Catcher in the Rye?

Interpretation. The Catcher in the Rye takes the loss of innocence as its primary concern. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye”—someone who saves children from falling off a cliff, which can be understood as a metaphor for entering adulthood.

How is Catcher in the Rye anti white?

Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is labeled “anti-white.” The “anti-white” quote on the Catcher cover comes from a 1963 effort to ban Catcher, Brave New World and To Kill a Mockingbird. Presumably, the anti-white complaint is more targeted at the book in which African-American characters are mistreated by whites.

Why is Catcher in the Rye so famous?

Salinger's novel has been wildly popular since it came out in 1951. It's been lauded as changing the course of post-Second World War writing—at least American writing—as much as Ernest Hemingway's work did in the inter-war period.

Why is Catcher in the Rye communist?

In the 1970's and 1980's, one school district in the state of Washington took a darker approach to their children reading this book. Parents objected to The Catcher in the Rye because they believed it to be part of a larger Communist plot that Salinger himself was involved in.

What does Catcher in the Rye teach us?

As its title indicates, the dominating theme of The Catcher in the Rye is the protection of innocence, especially of children. For most of the book, Holden sees this as a primary virtue. It is very closely related to his struggle against growing up.

Is Catcher in the Rye about communism?

In 1978, the book was banned in high schools in Issaquah, Washington for being part of "an overall communist plot".

Why is it called Catcher in the Rye?

The book's title stems from a scene in Chapter 16 when Holden observes a young boy who, ignored by his parents, walks in the street while singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” Holden interprets this scene as a perfect expression of the innocence of youth.

Is Catcher in the Rye appropriate for middle school?

This coming-of-age book by J.D Salinger is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, and written for kids ages 14 years and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.

Why Catcher in the Rye should not be banned?

The Catcher in the Rye should not be banned for summer reading for incoming sophomores because of its “explicit” content. After high school, out in the real world, life experiences are not censored or banned to protect you.

What book has been banned the most?

The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye has the fascinating double distinction of being both the most banned and the second most taught book in American schools.

What is the most challenged book of all time?

How does The Catcher in the Rye relate to the Cold War?

"The Catcher," with its immortal teenage protagonist -- the anguished, rebellious Holden Caulfield -- came out in 1951 during a time of anxious, Cold War conformity. The book struck a chord with American teenagers who identified with the novel's themes of alienation, innocence, and rebellion.

Where is Holden at the end of the book?

Holden concludes his story by refusing to discuss what happened after his day in the park with Phoebe, although he does say that he went home, got sick, and was sent to the rest home from which he now tells his story.

Do serial killers read Catcher in the Rye?

Kennedy, and Robert John Bardo , the man who killed Rebecca Schaeffer.. Holden Caulfield might have some criminal potential as well, having similar traits of killers. Mark David Chapman was absolutely obsessed with The Catcher in the Rye. He saw the book as his inspiration to kill…show more content…

Is Catcher in the Rye a true story?

Written and directed by Danny Storm (of Gilmore Girls and Empire acclaim), the film will follow Salinger's early life, including his time deployed in France during World War II, and the events that lead to the now-iconic Catcher in the Rye.

Is Holden in a mental hospital?

Holden is not specific about his location while he's telling the story, but he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital or sanatorium. The events he narrates take place in the few days between the end of the fall school term and Christmas, when Holden is sixteen years old.

Is Catcher in the Rye relevant today?

While The Catcher in The Rye's setting took place over 65 years ago, it still remains somewhat relevant in many ways of today's society. The novel, written by J.D. Salinger in the late 1940's and published in the early 1950's, was originally written geared toward the audience of adult readers.

Why should Catcher in the Rye be taught in schools?

Fight the Stigma of Mental Illness

Holden is struggling with depression throughout the novel. This allows a platform to teach young people the importance of seeking help for their own illness, or that of people they may know.

What does the last line of Catcher in the Rye mean?

From that, Holden is in the hospital. The last line of the book says, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." From what I remember, this means that Holden made up all of those stories.

Is Catcher in the Rye hard to understand?

CATCHER is hard to read for some people. This may be in part because of the narrative voice and the confining first-person point of view. Another reason is the lack of a clear plot line. There's no antagonist or clear goal that the protagonist is striving toward.