The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger

Why do you think these books were challenged?

Most Challenged Books of “It's Perfectly Normal” for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion and being unsuited to age group; 2.“Forever” by Judy Blume for sexual content and offensive language; 3.“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger for sexual content, offensive language and being unsuited to age group;

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 405 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

Catcher in the Rye Controversy The Catcher in the Rye has been shrouded in controversy since its publication. Reasons for banning have been the use of offensive language, premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. All Controversy info from Wikipedia

Mark David Chapman, murderer of musician John Lennon, was carrying the book when he was arrested immediately after the murder and referred to it in his statement to police shortly thereafter. John Hinckley, Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was also reported to have been obsessed with the book.

Critics see Holden as a disturbing influence on youths they consider to be "social outcasts". Holden is portrayed as a juvenile who rejects and is rejected by many peers and individuals. People like Chapman and Hinckley come to relate themselves to Holden, the person that nobody understands and that can't understand anybody else. Thirty years after its publication in , The Catcher in the Rye was both the most banned book in America as well as the second most taught book in public schools.

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger (born January 1, 1919) in Manhattan, New York In 1941, Salinger started dating Oona O'Neill, daughter of Eugene O'Neill, writing long daily letters to her. This ended when Oona began a relationship with Charlie Chaplin.

J. D. Salinger, con’t. Salinger is also known for his reclusive nature; he has not given an interview since 1974, and has not made a public appearance, nor published any new work (at least under his own name), since “A major theme in Salinger's work is the strong yet delicate mind of "disturbed" adolescents, and the redemptive capacity of children in the lives of such young men.” Wikipedia

J. D. Salinger, con’t. Published in the New Yorker in 1942, the story entitled "Slight Rebellion off Madison,“ featured a semi-autobiographical character named Holden Caulfield. Salinger had confided to several people that he felt Holden deserved a novel, and The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951.

The word "goddam" appears 255 times in the novel!!! It still sells about 250,000 copies per year as of 2000.

Will there ever be a movie? Numerous offers were made to adapt it for the screen. In the seventies, Salinger told Maynard that "Jerry Lewis tried for years to get his hands on the part of Holden,“ and luminaries ranging from Jack Nicholson to Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio have since made efforts to make a film of Catcher.

Isolation Very much like the protagonist in the novel, J.D. Salinger stays away from the “phonies” in Hollywood. He does not like the limelight. He refuses interviews, and he no longer visits high schools.

Media American rock band Green Day, in their Kerplunk! album, has a song titled "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" The song is based on how frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, could relate to the main character in a sense of being an outcast. The book is also one of his favorites Rapper Canibus references "The Catcher in the Rye" in the sporadic battle rap "Box Cutter Blade Runner" in the line "Have you ever read a book called The Catcher in the Rye? It so happens I'm looking for a copy I could buy" from his 2001 album, "C True Hollywood Stories": In the 2002 film, The Good Girl, Jake Gyllenhaal's character calls himself Holden and is seen reading the book and constantly referring to it. When John Lennon was assassinated in 1980 by Mark Chapman, Chapman started reading Catcher in the Rye after he had committed the killing. It is believed Chapman had killed Lennon because he believed that Lennon was the ultimate "phony", which is a recurring theme in the book. A new Guns N' Roses song has the title of "catcher in the Rye", an obvious reference to the book of the same name.

In your group: 1.Annotate the song you’ve been assigned 2.What do you think the songwriter thinks of the novel in general? 3.What do you think the songwriter thinks of Holden Caulfield?