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CONTROVERSY OF CATCHER IN THE RYE

THESIS STATEMENT: In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the style and plot’s appropriateness can be deemed controversial.

INTRODUCTION

I. Life

A.	Salinger’s childhood B.	Salinger’s adulthood C.	Life’s impact on The Catcher in the Rye and  The Catcher in the Rye’s impact on his life

II. Style

A.	How The Catcher in the Rye was written

1.	First person, slang, and aimless ramble 2.	Frequent inappropriate language

B.	How critics perceive the style’s appropriateness

III. Plot

A.	Holden’s depression and mental decline B.	Lying, prostitution, and alcohol

CONCLUSION

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the style and plot’s appropriateness can be deemed controversial. Both Holden Caulfield’s life experiences and the frequent profanities he uses impact the overall effect of reading the novel. The book became an American classic soon after it was published in 1951, and according to the American Library Association, it was regarded as the second-most frequently banned or challenged book in the 20th century. (American Library Association). This once more proved The Catcher in the Rye’s popular controversy throughout history. Jerome David Salinger was born in Manhattan, New York, on January 1, 1919, to Sol Salinger, his father, and Marie Jillich, his mother. His father, Sol, was of Polish origin, but was also a Jew, whereas his mother was Scotch-Irish, and only pretended to be Jewish by changing her name to Miriam after the marriage. As Salinger grew older and became more concerned with his surroundings and his self discovery, he explored several religions including Buddhism, Hindu, Kriya Yoga, and Christian Science (“J.D. Salinger”). Aside from the continual religion confusion, Salinger also endured academic confusion. As a child, he attended many public schools in western Pennsylvania, though it was not until the eleventh grade when he attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania, the setting of most of The Catcher in the Rye’s opening. In 1942, when Salinger was just twenty-three years old he was drafted into the American army. While enlisted, he participated in some of the worst battles of the war, including Utah Beach on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, where approximately 20,000 United States soldiers were killed. During his military experience, Salinger interviewed prisoners of war and “He was among the first soldiers to enter a liberated concentration camp” (“J.D. Salinger”). Such experiences probably influenced Salinger’s other works such as “For Esme with Love and Squalor.” His daughter, Margaret Salinger, quoted J.D. himself when he said, “You never really get the smell of burning flesh out of your nose entirely, no matter how long you live” (“J.D. Salinger”). On page 140 and 141 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden describes his contradicting opinion of the war and his brother, D.B.’s, experiences, which were likely similar to the ones Salinger faced in World War II. At first, Holden says, “I don’t think I could stand it if I had to go to war” (Salinger 140). He also mentions how D.B landed on D-Day, and how he probably hated the army more than the war. “He said the army was practically as full of bastards as the Nazis were” (Salinger 140). Though it seems sure both Salinger and Holden are confused about war when Holden changes his mind from not being able to stand it to, “I swear if there’s ever another war, they better just take me out and stick me in front of a firing squad” and then to, “I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will” (Salinger 141). Salinger’s social and military life had a significant impact on his writing. Salinger even stated, “My boyhood was a very much the same as that of the boy in the book, and it was a great relief telling people about it” (Blaney). One specific similarity in Salinger’s and Holden’s lives occurs after Holden is introduced to the two Catholic nuns. He discusses Catholicism to himself and says, “As a matter of fact, my father was a Catholic once. He quit, though, when he married my mother” (Salinger 112). Holden saying that resembles his own life and his own mother changing her religion. Another experience similar in both Salinger and Holden’s lives is the academic perspective. Both Holden and Salinger frequently transferred schools, and the basis for the novel is based on Salinger’s stay at Valley Forge Military Academy. Also, in The Catcher in the Rye, Sally calls him a “sacrilegious atheist,” and Holden’s defense is simply, “I probably am” (Salinger 137). Holden considering himself to be an Atheist corresponds with his religious confusion in reality. As it is remarkably doubtless Salinger’s personal life affected The Catcher in the Rye, it is also apparent that the vast publicity it received affected him as well. It is said that he completely withdrew himself and “disappeared from the world” (“J.D. Salinger”). However, Salinger may have always been that way because in just the opening paragraph, Holden says, “My parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told you anything about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father” (Salinger 1). In real life though, Salinger began to not want anything written about him and went as far as suing Ian Hamilton for writing a biography of him which included letters written to friends from Salinger (“J.D. Salinger”). His wife even began to describe him as difficult to live with because of his controlling nature (“J.D. Salinger”). Though Salinger has a complicated life, his style of writing in The Catcher in the Rye is mostly simplistic. Its simplicity is likely due to Holden being the narrator when he is merely seventeen. The writing is also aimless with incomplete sentences and inchoate ideas. “Holden's slob speech is obviously justified as a realistic narrative device, since it is the idiom of the American male” (Strauch). However, it includes a technique referred to as the stream of consciousness. This is proven with Salinger’s use of disjointed ideas and interior monologue about past experiences to detail a whole theme (“The Catcher in the Rye”). Colloquials are present and seen mostly while chatting with his roommates or friends. Overall, The Catcher in the Rye is also considered to be similar to prose and 1950’s teenage slang (Lomazoff). Inclusive with teenage slang, Holden uses profanities as if they were compliments. So frequently does he curse that “The novel was banned in some countries, and some U.S. schools, because of its bold and (to some) offensive use of language” (“J.D. Salinger”). The earliest censorship noted occurred in California just three years after its publication (Andrychuk). To show the extent to just how often Holden curses, there are numerous statistics counting each swear word. In just two hundred pages, Holden curses roughly eight hundred times and takes God’s name in vain approximately three hundred times. Parents despise English teachers for assigning the book to their innocent children, though as one critic states, “It says something about society for there to be people still concerned about bad language in novels when there are so many greater societal ills – yet this has been a concern of censors and would-be censors for as long as writers have been putting ‘bad language’ in books” (Andrychuk). Another critic, who worked for the New York Times, by the name of James Stern, wrote his review with a language similar to the one Salinger used for Holden(Lomazoff). The use of Holden’s profanities was of such concern that they were being linked to Marxism. To critics, the cursing and childish writing classify The Catcher in the Rye to be unserious literature because it “lacks intellectual substance” (Strauch). However, it is popularly known that the style of writing is what draws teenagers to read and enjoy this book. Beyond cursing, Holden also frequently says things kill and depress him. In chapter thirteen, just ten pages long, Holden says one thing or another depresses him six times. He also swears he is crazy, and a couple of times, even wishes death for himself. Holden saying “But I’m crazy. I swear to God I am” (Salinger 103). In another instance, he says, “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window” (Salinger 104). Holden verbally admitting his insanity prove his mental decline and depression. In The Catcher in the Rye, not only is Holden’s depression a major component of the plot, but “incidents of depression, nervous breakdown, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, vulgarity, and other erratic behavior” (Lomazoff) contribute to the still-standing controversy. Several other moral issues arise throughout The Catcher in the Rye such as prostitution, lying, and alcohol. At frequent times, Holden drinks for social entertainment and to forget. On page 150, Holden says, “Boy, I sat at that goddam bar till around one o’clock or so, getting drunk as a bastard. I could hardly see straight” (Salinger 150). He also lies so often, it seems to have almost become a part of Holden himself. At one point, he has to distract himself by reading a time table, “Just to stop lying. Once I get started, I can go on for hours if I feel like it. No Kidding. Hours” (Salinger 58). His relation with the prostitute was brief and practically nonexistent, as all they did was chat. However, some parents and critics find even the mention of it to be emotionally conflicting and inappropriate. Critic Peter Shaw states, “It is certainly true that like other of Salinger’s youths, Holden properly belongs to the contemporary American novel’s procession of sensitive, psychologically crippled but superior characters,” and yet, Shaw proves this by noting, “He [Holden] writes his account from a mental institution, has a morbid preoccupation with death, and comes perilously close to a nervous breakdown while walking up Fifth Avenue” (Shaw). Critic Robert Bennett tries to explain Holden’s depression by questioning his past. He wonders if the death of his brother Allie contributes to his decline. Bennett also notes Holden’s relationships with his friends and girls, like the prostitute he interacts with, and hypothesizes that these could give clues as to why Holden feels depressed (Bennett). For instance, instead of forming a relation with the hooker he ordered, he decides he just wants to talk (Bennett). Another critic by the name of Carl Strauch agrees and thinks, “Holden's neurosis includes feelings of insecurity stemming from Allie's death” (Strauch). Susan Mitchell questions the reliability of Holden as the narrator. “First we may claim that Holden is telling the truth: he is a liar, people are phony, society is corrupt. Or we may claim that Holden is lying: he is truthful, people are genuine, and society is untainted” (Mitchell). All of these happenings in the plot contribute to its banning, “Reasons for banning have been the use of offensive language, premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution (“The Catcher in the Rye”). Because the plot and style were written so doubtlessly inappropriate for young teenagers, it is easy for the reader to notice, observe, and accept the views of critics who have thoroughly analyzed its components. Though some argue the style contributes to the effect and liking of teenagers, others find it corruptive. Overall, The Catcher in the Rye does contain several inappropriate instances in its plot; critics just perceive the effect on teenagers differently. Still, both critics and parents alike either love or hate The Catcher in the Rye.

Works Cited

Andrychuk, Sylvia. “A History of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.” 17 February 2004. On-line. School of Library, Archival and Information Studies. May 8, 2007.

“Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century.” American Library Association. On-Line. American Library Association. May 8, 2007.

Blaney, Shirlie. “Interview with an Author.” 13 November 1953. On-line. 7 May 2007.

Bennett, Robert. “The Catcher in the Rye.” Answers Corporation. On-line. May 10, 2007.

“J.D. Salinger.” 2 May 2007. Wikipedia. On-line. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 May 2007.

Lomazoff, Eric. “The Praises and Criticisms of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.” On-line. 7 May 2007.

Mitchell, Susan. “The Catcher in the Rye.” Answers Corporation. On-line. May 10, 2007.

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Publication, 1945.

Shaw, Peter. “Love and Death in The Catcher in the Rye,” in New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye, Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp. 97-114.

Strauch, Carl, Kings in the Back Row: Meaning through Structure-A Reading of Salinger's `The Catcher in the Rye,'  in Wisconsin Studies in Contemporary Literature, Winter, 1961.

“The Catcher in the Rye.” May 2007. Wikipedia. On-line. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 May 2007.