The Catcher in the Rye was a very controversial book during the 20th century and it still is very controversial today. There were many factors that had an impact on Americans in the 20th century. Some of these factors were the main character Holden Caulfield, which was a protagonist and antihero, its tone of sincerity, themes of family neglect, and the differences between teenagers and society. The biggest impact of all would have to be rebellion, and how it affects American teenagers. All of these factors impact today's Americans also. Catcher in the Rye was first published in 1951, and it is known for being read in high schools all around the country. Many children that have read this book have said they really liked it but others that have read it have said they hated it. One girl hated it so much she stabbed the book with a knife and put it on a BBQ grill and made it into a YouTube video. People who liked the book said they loved Holden's sense of rebellion and his overall character. On the other hand, people who hated it thought Holden was like a grumpy old man and could never see how he rebelled so much. Catcher in the Rye is on the list for being the third most challenged book. There are many reasons why this book was banned. The use of sexual contact, offensive language, and the undermining of family values and morals, these are a couple of big reasons why the book was banned. Parents didn't want their children reading this type of book. They believed it encouraged teen rebellion and promoted drinking, smoking, and sexual behavior. This was why the book was banned from libraries. Another controversial point about the novel was when Mark Chapman shot John Lennon and handed the police a copy of Catcher in the Rye. Inscribed in the book was a sentence from Chapman, “This is my statement, from Holden Caulfield.” Chapman was acting out because of what he read in the novel, and how much rebelling he saw from Caulfield. You can now see why Catcher in the Rye was such a controversial point in history. Many people were affected by the novel back then and you can see how many people are affected nowadays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye
http://www.associatedcontent.chttp://msnbc.msn.com/id/35310305/site/todayshow/ns/today-books/om/article/162077/banned_book_the_catcher_in_the_rye.html http://msnbc.msn.com/id/35310305/site/todayshow/ns/today-books
if Holden is a grumpy old man then all teenagers old people who all they know how to do is complain. because every rebels in there own ways some just not as verbal as others
ReplyDeleteI meant all teenagers are old people with very strong opinions
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that books should be banned at all, I mean it comes down to what the reader is into and what he or she wants to read. I feel that right as to what people can and cannot read.
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I believe that it was banned do to the amount of real world problems that had occurred after reading the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the teenagers side that liked the book because it deals with real life problems. I don't think it should be banned from schools.
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