High School Reality in a Book

High School Reality in a Book

The novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a banned book, which is a book or novel that has been removed from the shelves. The story takes place in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Pencey is Holden Caulfield’s fourth school; he has already failed out of three others so he is planning on leaving this one as well, but he is not scheduled to return home to Manhattan until Wednesday. The hypocrisy and ugliness in the real world make him unbearable to others, and through his cynicism he tries to protect himself from the pain and disappointment of the adult world. At times, he displays as much phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as anyone else in the book. The language that J.D. Salinger gives Holden Caulfield in this novel is inappropriate for people in general, which makes people not like this book and they banned it. Salinger knew how the teens of the 21st century use this type of language in our everyday lives. Teenagers today can relate to the book and to what they talk about and wonder about, and how some think. This book should not be banned because it is showing how becoming an adolescent will remove the innocence of being a child.

The theme of The Catcher in the Rye is the protection of innocence. Holden Caulfield is the “catcher in the rye” to catch the children from falling off a cliff, which represents the loss of their innocence. Holden did not want to become an adolescent, which teenagers can relate to. He wants to protect other kids, too, so that they don’t lose their innocence. Also, if Holden was real, he would be able to fit in at any high school today. For example, when Holden states “I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. “ (51-55) The importance of the lesson that is being learned in this novel is something that adolescent may be interested in. It would be a shame to ban a book that might actually get adolescents not only to read but to learn something in the process.

In chapter 16, Holden is going to the Museum of Natural History and says “I knew that whole museum routine like a book.” (pg 133) Holden also states “I get very happy when I think about it. Even now.” (pg. 133) This quote shows Holden’s love for the museum, which is because it has not changed since the last time he had come. Holden wants his life to be like that, where nothing changes and he does not lose his innocence. I think young people may wish that they didn’t have to lose their innocence too, but the lesson here is that we have to. Many young adults may want to read about Holden’s life and how it is similar to teens today. This is an important