Topic 2: Kristin, Shane, Ace, Tyler, Zach Haigh

Since 1960 The Catcher in the Rye has been one of the most banned books for many different reasons. One of the main reasons is because of the sexual content used in the book. Many parents do not wish for their children to learn about this from a book. Another reason it is one of the most books is because of the offensive language. In 1960 a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma was fired because she assigned this book to her class. The teacher was later given her job back, but the book was still banned. In 1963 a couple of high school students parents asked the school board to ban The Catcher in the Rye and many other books. Many schools have also banned this book because many people believe the book is “anti-white”

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/162077/banned_book_the_catcher_in_the_rye.html

Since The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951 many people have stated their opinion on the book and the role it has played in their life. Many people have said they do not like the book because it is boring and uneventful. On the other hand there are many upsides people have discussed about the book. One person said that J.D. Salinger used very good symbolism, and metaphors. Because of the offensive language and sexual content used in the book some people have even stated that this book has given them the urge to go out and do things they wouldn’t have done before. Mark Chapman who shot John Lennon, was arrested with a copy of the book. He stated that the book ,which he had signed by John Lennon earlier in the day, made him shoot John. Malcolm Jones once said about the book "any allure the book might have had as 'forbidden goods' was stripped away the day the first English teacher put it on a required-reading list."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/the_dead_writers_society.html http://204.232.203.158/letters/index.php?page=letters&tpl=letters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye

When Catcher in the Rye first came out, teenagers had a wide range of reactions to the book. Some find Holden as a friend and can really relate to him, but others absolutely hate him and don't find him as a teenager but more as a grumpy old man with a lot of issues. The ones who like Catcher feel like Holden is going through things that are similar to them so that’s why they like it.  However some teenagers hate the book so much that they even go as far as burning the book in a barbecue grill after stabbing it.  I.E. Becky Johnston-Carter.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35310305/ns/today-books
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZPaylaRp58
 
Book reviews for this book range from good to bad. Some people think that J.D. Salinger did a perfect job portraying the story of a teenage boy growing up. The think that the way that the author shed light on the Holden’s growing pains and muddled up thoughts were extremely descriptive and very accurate. One of the big reasons that Catcher in the Rye was so popular was because it was so believable. Many people say that they would do exactly as Holden had done in most of the situations he found himself in. They saw Holden as very relatable. However some other critics have seen Catcher in the Rye as hard to follow and very random. They don’t like Salinger’s style of writing or Holden’s constant cussing. Although some of the reviews for this book were bad, over all people liked or loved the book and could very easily relate to Holden.

http://www.allreaders.com/topics/info_774.asp
http://brhsbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/catcher-in-rye_11.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3iHnu34zKU