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 * Controversy surrounding //The Catcher in the Rye//**

The first controversy in the Cather in the Rye by J D Salinger is, of course, that which came to be immediately recognized in a time when life in the U.S. was supposed to be more a Beaver Cleaver or Nelson family life. What was fashionable print at the time was good wholesome life in a good and wholesome framework.

A book emphasizing the discontent, street vocabulary and sexual knowledge of the young was not permissible in post WWII storytelling.

Reasons for banning have been the use of offensive language, premarital sex , alcohol abuse , and prostitution.

Thirty years after its publication in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye was both the most banned book in America as well as the second most taught book in public schools.

The Catcher in the Rye is still a controversial novel, despite it being published over 50 years ago. Many people are offended by the language and situations in the novel. Others feel that the character of Holden is outdated People who attend public venues to try and remove books from the shelves of school and public libraries. The fear factor among these people is through the roof. And, while the "vulgar" language in Catcher isn't what makes the book such a literary classic, leaving it out would change its impact greatly.

Some "concerned" parents have gone so far as to "count" the occurrence of each individual "bad" word, an exercise that seems silly to the point of being comedic. For one thing, calling attention to all these people find offensive only makes the book that much more appealing to people; some will want to read it simply to find out "what the big deal is."

Another controversial aspect of Catcher is Holden's casual references to sex and prostitution Mouth like a sailor, he seems to enjoy the "shock value" his words seem to inspire in those around him. Yet, if one carefully reads, Holden's redemption is in learning to embrace his love for others, even for those who are the "phoniest", as well as love for himself.

There are many references to sex and sexual acts in many parts of the book. Th protagonist trying to contact a prostitute and when she comes tries to do intercourse received a lot of criticism. The protagonist's explanation of sexual acts and references to homo sex were also equally criticized The Catcher In The Rye" was still being banned from school and public libraries as late as 1999, according to the American Library Association. It is the thirteenth most banned book of all time in America. The book was not taught in this writer's Christian high school when I went in the mid to late 1980's. It was still considered controversial enough in the 1980's to warrant being taken out of the curriculum.

But this use of an explicit language by the narrator(or author) resulted in people drawing a lot of flak about this book. The open discussion of sexuality caused to create a controversy at the time of the book's release. Many people couldn't digest the writing style used in the book. Some people didn't even consider a literacy work as there is no particular style of writing followed in this book. Since the character of the narrator demanded such writing style, the book was written in that way. But the critics concluded that it is not a serious literature work as the narration is very open and not formal.

And, as time goes by, others won't see what all the fuss was about, either. "The Catcher in the Rye" was the first book of its kind which sparked a lot of imitations. And, as the first of its kind, the book took a lot of flak. It was a product of its time, which has in part, passed. Americans of all ages now know that American society still has a lot of growing up to do