Few books are, at the same time, as loved and as attacked as The Catcher in the Rye. For decades, he was one of the champions of censorship in American schools and libraries. Understanding why helps you understand the book itself.
The reasons for censorship
The first is language: Holden narrates how a real teenager speaks, with profanity and crude outbursts, which scandalized parents and school boards from the 1950s onwards. The second are the themes: alcohol, cigarettes, a frustrated encounter with a prostitute, and a general rebellion against authority, school and religion.
For many educators, this made the book a bad influence. For others, it was exactly the honest portrayal young people needed. The fight lasted generations, and in many places it still does.
The shadow that followed him
The novel's sinister reputation grew for a tragic and unfair reason. Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon in 1980, carried the book and said he identified with Holden to the point of obsession. The case (and others that followed it) gave the novel an aura of danger. But it is a misleading association: the book does not preach any violence. The fixation was on the sick reader, not on the work.
Why doesn't this take away from the book?
The rawness that scares is the same that makes the novel true. Salinger didn't soften Holden to please; he gave him an authentic voice, and it was this authenticity that made millions of readers recognize themselves in him. A classic is not a harmless book, it is a book that tells the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
To read the classics that bother you, with context and depth, see our recommended readings.
Readings from Nous
Read the classics in depth
Our list of more than 130 recommended books, commented and organized by theme, so you don't read in the dark.
See recommended readingsFrequently asked questions
Why was The Catcher in the Rye censored?
Due to the rude language, the references to sex and alcohol, the tone of rebellion against authority and religion. It was one of the most removed books from schools and libraries in the United States for decades.
The book is linked to the murder of John Lennon?
Yes, indirect. Mark David Chapman, who killed John Lennon in 1980, carried the book with him and obsessively identified with Holden. The case reinforced the novel's bad reputation, although the work does not preach violence.
Why is a book so attacked also a classic?
Because the same rawness that scandalizes is what makes it true. Salinger gave an authentic voice to teenage confusion, and generations recognized themselves in it. Being dangerous and being sincere are almost the same thing here.
Continue: The Catcher in the Rye: summary and analysis · Who is Holden Caulfield · Macbeth's prophecies explained
Source class (YouTube): O Apanhador no Campo de Centeio (NousCast)