American Library Association Vs. Salinger s The Catcher...

J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye, holds the honor of appearing on â€Å"Time† magazine’s 2010 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923 (Lacayo). In contrast, the American Library Association (ALA) notes that the novel also holds the dubious honor of being the tenth most challenged book in the United States from 1990 to 1999. In 2001, 2005, and 2009 the book again made the ALA top ten most frequently challenged book list (Banned and Challenged Books). In the light of this history, the question arises as to what makes The Catcher in the Rye so divisive? Ever since the novel first appeared in 1951, it has been challenged by critics who advocate removing it from high school curriculums. These opponents of the novel fear the profanity and perceived immorality of the central character, Holden Caulfield, will corrupt young adults. However, these harsh critics fail to recognize that The Catcher in the Rye offers young adults pro found moral lessons penned with real-world words they can identify with, and no person should be denied the right to read those words. Salinger’s protagonist, Holden Caulfied, narrates his adventure with words that express all the angst, anger, and unpredictability of a typical seventeen-year-old. In his rants against society and phonies, Holden freely swears his way through his story. The profanities that flow from Holden’s mouth are the everyday words often spoken by a young adult coming of age. As a result, hisShow MoreRelated Censorship in the Classroom Essay2774 Words   |  12 Pagesor she objects to classroom material, the censor is reacting to something he or she fears (Fine 1996, 24).    Young adult novels, more so than the classics, have been the focus of the attacks because the dont have absolute good vs. evil, or right vs. wrong. This ambiguousness seems threatening to the censor. Contemporary young adult novels have just as many twists and turns as real life, and if those twists and turns involve sex, politics, or religion, the censors alarm is triggeredRead MoreBanned Books On The American School System1824 Words   |  8 PagesBanned Books in the American School System Literary works are the foundation for education and are crucial for multiple reasons, some of which include that literature obtains a large variety of information that is at times not accessible to students by computers and teachers alone. Another advantage is adults and children alike improve their understanding and knowledge of certain topics whilst improving their intelligence of the language itself. Banning literary pieces of work is unjustifiable and