The Catcher In the Rye Should Not be Banned Since its publication in 1951, The Catcher In the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger has served as a conflagration for debate and extreme controversy. Although the novel has been the target of scornful criticism, it has also been the topic of wide discussion. The novel portrays the life of sixteen year old, Holden Caufield. Currently in psychiatric care, Holden recalls what happened to him last Christmas. At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72-hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior. Such issues have supplemented the controversial nature of the book and in turn, have sparked the question of whether or not this book should be banned. The novel, The Catcher In the Rye, should not be banned from inclusion in the literature courses taught at the high school level. Banning a book on the basis of profanity is merely a superficial reason of those who wish to limit beliefs that do not coincide with their own. By excluding a novel from a high school curriculum in order to shelter students from profanity, is an attempt to do the impossible. Profanity is found everywhere. According to TV Guide, "Profanity is uttered once every six minutes on American primetime television... ... middle of paper ... ...too, have the right to freely express themselves and receive information. Therefore, minors have the right to read any materials in which they desire. By banning The Catcher In the Rye, and novels of the like, the rights of U.S. citizens are restricted. The novel, The Catcher In the Rye, should not be banned from inclusion in the literature courses taught at the high school level. Banning this novel contradicts an individual's inalienable rights as an United States citizen. It limits freedom of speech and as well as other forms of expression. Although controversial, profanity is not a reason to limit an individual's rights. America is founded on principles that are not fueled by exceptions. Profanity is not an exception to freedom of speech. The Catcher in the Rye should not be excluded from curriculums at the high school level.
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I believe that Catcher In The Rye needs to be partially banned. By that, I mean that its contents possess very mature themes that children under the age of 12 probably should not be exposed to in public schools. Now if their parents want to let them read it on their own then that is none of the school’s or anyone else’s concern. Elementary schools should not carry the book because there will always be the chance of a child getting their hands on the book and bringing it home subsequently having their parents see what they have been reading in turn making the parents upset by what the school is allowing their child to read.
For many years people have argued about the inclusion of The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger in the high school english curriculum. This is such due to the inappropriate and adult oriented themes within If considered, many times within the novel the main character will face situations in which that the negative and vulgar themes will blossom into something meaningful that the reader can benefit from as a person and as a student. While the vulgarity and adult themes in The Catcher in the Rye are indeed inappropriate for adolescent students, ultimately its underlying themes of self discovery and possessing moral values provides life and ethical lessons that can be applied in the classroom as well as on a daily basis and therefore, the novel should be included in the high school curriculum for students to learn.
Since its initial publication in the year of 1951, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, has been a target of controversy, debate, and discernment. This astounding novel is centered on a boy, Holden, who is writing his story within the confines of a psychiatric hospital. Through the recount, Holden encounters serious obstacles that are hard to deal with as a 17 year old. With prostitutes, teen sex, profanity, and other irrational behavior, one would understand the debated opinions of the novel. What is not understood, however, is how the story itself can be gained from. The Catcher in the Rye should not be censored because students can benefit from its deliberately emotive storyline, the capability of its narrator to be identified with, and its ability to uncover the reality of the modern age.
“ I ordered a scotch and soda and told him not to mix it – I said it fast as hell, because if you hem and haw, they think you are under twenty-one and won’t sell you any intoxicating liquor.” Quoted from Holden Caulfield the smoking, cursing, drinking prostitute soliciting, protagonist of the novel, The Catcher In the Rye. The novel follows only a few days of Holden’s life, but exploits Holden’s reckless behavior and poor decision making skills; therefore encouraging bad behavior on young readers. The story also follows a constant repetition of inappropriate words and swears; that one might consider profane. Lastly the story contains inappropriate scenes and dialogue that is sexually explicit. The adult content found in this novel makes it unsuitable for eighth graders. The Catcher In the Rye must be banned from usage in the eighth grade curriculum and the school environment.
The book The Catcher in the Rye was published in the year 1951 and has been the subject of constant debates and controversies. The novel has not only been the target of criticism, but has also sparked discussions on its effectiveness for use in high schools. The novel is about a period of three days in the life of Holden Caulfield. The novel’s most criticised points are its issues such as profanity, irrational behavior, and teenage sex, but it still gives very important lessons to young readers because it teaches tolerance, discipline, religion, and rational behavior. More specifically it teaches that desirable behavior will make them and society better, and as such, I do not think it should be banned from high school curriculum. This paper analyzes the reasons why The Catcher in the Rye should not be banned from English classes that are taught in high schools.
In J.D. Salinger’s controversial 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main character is Holden Caulfield. When the story begins Holden at age sixteen, due to his poor grades is kicked out of Pencey Prep, a boys’ school in Pennsylvania. This being the third school he has been expelled from, he is in no hurry to face his parents. Holden travels to New York for several days to cope with his disappointments. As James Lundquist explains, “Holden is so full of despair and loneliness that he is literally nauseated most of the time.” In this novel, Holden, a lonely and confused teenager, attempts to find love and direction in his life. Holden’s story is realistic because many adolescent’s face similar challenges.
There has been censorship since the times of the early Catholic Church with it dictating what you could and could not do. The people of the United States have looked back upon what was being done, and have expressed that it was wrong for the church to such a thing. However, the leaders of today seem to be hypocritical in the subject. They say that it was bad once, but today it is okay. Censorship is most prominent in books today, and the most common to be thrown out are the ones that have obscene language and sexual references. There are many examples of this; however, the few that are best known are: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. The banning of books, such as these, blocks the meanings that these mature and experienced authors are putting forth to the world.
The Catcher in the Rye has been one of the most banned books in American education history: it includes curse words, inappropriate situations, underage drinking, and much more. Yet, it remains as one of the most beloved and read books by adolescents and adults alike. Perhaps this is because readers relate to and sympathize with the main character, Holden Caulfield, despite the fact that he was a character from the fifties. From reading The Catcher in the Rye, one can learn about the challenges of transitioning from the innocence of childhood to the reality of the adult world.
Novels that are being taught in schools all over the United States are being challenged by numerous people for inappropriate content. These people believe novels that do not fit their idea of what is considered appropriate, should be banned. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a prime example of this occurring. The novel is set around sixteen year old, Holden Caulfield during the 1950s. Holden struggles with mental illness and continuously flunks out of the schools he attends; however, he eventually decides to run away from his problems. While writing this novel, Salinger relates it to himself by using his own life experiences. Like Holden, Salinger was born in New York to upper-class parents, both have a fascination with
The Catcher in the Rye was written by J.D. Salinger in 1946. This book is considered by some to be a classic, but yet some others deem this book as one of the most controversial books in American literature. Throughout the United States, some schools and libraries have banned the book, but other schools and libraries have kept the book in its curriculum and taught as a “must-read” to students. So, why is this book being banned in the first place? In Salinger’s novel, the main character is Holden Caulfield, a stereotypical teenager facing psychological troubles. After getting kicked out of his school for the fifth time at the age of 16, he goes on a journey that takes him all the way to New York. Through his journey, he encounters many different
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the binary subjects of Love and Hate to convey the theme love cannot exist without hate.
Throughout Romeo and Juliet we can see that hate and love are very significant themes in the play and often occur alongside each other. Although love is vital, it wouldn’t be so major if it weren’t for the elements of hate, which intensify the love by contrasting against it.
The emotions of love and hate are at the forefront of the theme in this play by William Shakespeare. The Oxford Standard English Dictionary defines ‘love’ as ‘to have strong feelings of affection for another adult and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to feel great affection for a friend or person in your family’ and defines ‘hate’ as ‘a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action dislike intensely, to feel antipathy or aversion towards someone or something’. However, words cannot portray such wide and powerful emotions. Love and hate include elements of life, passion, long-term bonding and dislike, disgust and loathing respectively. It is because Shakespeare incorporates each of these elements into the play that Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate story of love and hate.
“O Romeo, O Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” This quote from one of Shakespeare’s most well known plays “Romeo and Juliet” is probably one of the most well known quotes from the story. The tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” starts out as a tale of two star-crossed lovers whose fate led them to meet while they each came from two families who hate each other. Throughout the play, they fall more and more in love and are so desperate to be together they end up killing themselves in the process. This may have ended the feud, but it still ended with two teenagers, one’s mother, one’s cousin, and one’s best friend dead. Romeo and Juliet may have killed themselves, but their deaths were caused by fate, and their families’ hatred toward one another.