Seminar paper

Seminar Paper

"The Catcher in Rye" is the story of an emotionally disturbed young sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden is telling this story in first person, although whole thing is all one big flashback. The story is one of the young boy trying to grow up in an adult world, and trying to show that he is an adult. As Holden is learning, there are many depressing things in world. Holden, being Idealist that he is, searches to find everything that needs to be changed, but never gives an alternative to situation or thing. (Yardley 12)

In four total days that story covers, Holden ends up getting himself from Pencey to New York where he and his sister meet. While with his sister, he sees little girl in her, so innocent to world around her, that he thinks is so depressing. He tries to shelter Phoebe from world by not letting her do things that he is doing. In the sense, Holden is himself, the hypocrite, by doing particular things and then turning around and telling her not to do them.

The story really begins and ends in Mental Hospital or Resting Home as he calls it. The story ends with Holden talking to the Doctor as if he were telling whole story to doctor. This is the symbolic ending to this story, because Holden always thought that he didn't need to share his depressing stories with other people. Also, he didn't like listening to other people tell him their saddening stories. (Magill 1803)

"The Catcher in Rye" was removed from reading lists and libraries in Issaquah, Washington, Middleville, Michigan, North Jackson, Ohio, and Anniston, Alabama. It was challenged in Libby, Montana and banned in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. This all occurred between 1978 and 1985.

The main reasons for concern regarding "The Catcher in Rye" are its vulgarity, occultism, violence, and sexual content. Holden Caulfield swears steadily throughout book. He courses so self-consciously and so consistently that words lose most of their vulgarity. The word "f***" appears three or four times at end of book. Holden is as shocked by word as reader and spends last few pages of book rubbing word out when he finds it scrawled on walls in various places. (Webber 105)

The next two charges, occultism and violence, are hard to understand. The only scene that leads toward occultism is scene where Holden speculates on whether Judas went to Hell after betraying Jesus. Holden also calls himself an atheist and then goes on to prove that he is the Christian. The violence in this book is very minimal. (Grossman 34)

Sexual content, along with vulgarity, is strongest charge against book. Holden fears that his friend Jane may have been raped, he lusts after women at every opportunity, he meets with the prostitute in his hotel room (Ch. 13), he observers "perversions" through his inn window, and he doubts that Mr. Antolini is making the homosexual pass at him (Ch. 24) -- whereas last is more Holden's worry than ...