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Why Catcher In The Rye Should Not Be Banned

Decent Essays

It has been seventy years since The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, was first published, and it still makes parents assail this book, while young adults and teenagers read this book with ease and laughter. Parents assail this book due to its explicit descriptions and diction, but do not assail the fact that their children are exposed to sex and profanity daily. Sheltering your child from reading a book of such truth, will not prevent them from experiencing the emotional and physical pain that Holden Caulfield did within his three day journey. So why bother banning this book when the worst thing it does is give teens the ability to see what’s right and wrong, and show them bits of the real world.
When reading, you will come across some obscene descriptions and details, but that shouldn’t make parents want to ban it because it teaches us valuable lessons of what is right and wrong. For instance, Holden meets a guy …show more content…

Though this book may be ‘inappropriate’ to some, this inappropriateness is what allows readers to see how the world actually works. “The Catcher in the Rye should not be seen as a book full of negative ideas being fed to teenagers, but should be a chance for teenagers to identify themselves with a literary character.” (Why is it Banned and should it Remain Banned?). Letting teens read this book, not only gives them a connection, but a relationship that lures them to continue reading because they often find themselves in the same shoes as Holden. Protecting and preventing your child from what they should and shouldn’t do, will only cause rebellious acts to come upon you, the parents. Rather than opposing to the book, inform your child about the language and observations they may come across, since they are continuously surrounded by

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