The Catcher in the Rye and John Lennon: What Is the Connection?
The link is real but narrow. When Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon in New York on 8 December 1980, he was carrying a copy of The Catcher in the Rye, and afterwards he stayed at the scene reading it. The book did not cause the crime, and millions of readers have never had any connection to violence.
Two other cases later came to be linked to the book: John Hinckley Jr. in 1981 and Robert John Bardo in 1989.
| Case | Link to the book |
|---|---|
| Mark David Chapman, 1980 | Carried a copy and stayed at the scene reading it |
| John Hinckley Jr., 1981 | A copy was found in his hotel room |
| Robert John Bardo, 1989 | Reportedly carried a copy at the scene |
What did Chapman do with the book?
Chapman shot John Lennon outside the Dakota building on 8 December 1980. According to widely reported accounts, he waited at the scene and read the novel until police arrived. In his copy he had written that it was his statement, and signed it with Holden Caulfield's name.
He later urged people to read the novel in his statements, and at his sentencing he read a passage from it, the one where Holden describes children playing in the rye.
↑ Back to the topHow does Hinckley fit in?
John Hinckley Jr. shot and wounded President Ronald Reagan in March 1981. Investigators found a copy of the book in his hotel room. But he was fixated on the actress Jodie Foster, not on Holden Caulfield, and one documentary maker told A&E he could not even find proof that Hinckley had read it.
↑ Back to the topIs there a third case?
In 1989 Robert John Bardo killed the actress Rebecca Schaeffer. Reports say he had a copy of the novel with him at the time and threw it away as he fled.
↑ Back to the topWhat should we make of it?
These men fixated on the book, but that does not show the book made them act. In Hinckley's case the book appears to have been a side detail. The novel is a story about grief and a teenager's loneliness, and it ends gently. The cases are the reason the book carries a dark reputation, which has little to do with what is actually in it.
For the separate history of school challenges, see our guide to why the book was banned.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Catcher in the Rye
This guide covers the novel only. Details such as page counts vary by edition.