Topic 2: Mariah, Addie, Tyler History of the Novel--what makes it such a controversial book?

As we all know, there is a lot of controversy centered on the Catcher in the Rye. It is one of the most challenged books. It has been banned from school curriculum, libraries, and even some bookstores. This is because many believe it makes wrong things seem okay. For example, pre-marital sex was greatly frowned upon during the ‘50s (and still is by most) and this book made it seem like it was okay to go against that to the people who read it. Catcher in the Rye also makes it seem like it’s okay not to try in school and that it’s okay to drop out as long as you’re doing what you believe is right. Will Emaus said (www.helium.com/items/1753728-heres-my-card), “Teenagers learning from the book find it acceptable to delay their progress into adulthood and detour down the road of rebelliousness. Catcher in the Rye was pushed to teenagers as something to aspire to.” Will Emaus also states that Catcher in the Rye was written for adults, not teenagers. It has adult language and sexual activity content that wasn’t meant for teenagers to read. All in all, most believe Catcher in the Rye compromises and goes against the morals most people try to have.

Another reason why Catcher in the Rye is so controversial is because there have been some criminal activities where the book has somehow been involved. For example, Mark Chapman killed John Lennon and then handed a copy of the book to the police officer and stated, “This is why I killed John Lennon.” Another case like this deals with Robert John Bardo who fell in love, stalked, and then later killed Rebecca Schaeffer because of the Catcher in the Rye (according to him). Thirdly, John Hinckler plotted to kill president Ronald Reagan to impress actress Jodie Foster (but failed), and said that Catcher in the Rye was his favorite book. This has thrown a lot of fear and worry into the controversy around Catcher in the Rye. People feel that if an unstable person reads the book it will push them over the edge, like shown in the cases above.