Why Was The Catcher in the Rye Banned?
The Catcher in the Rye has been challenged mostly for profanity and sexual references, and for its portrait of a rebellious teenager. Many complaints say it sets a bad example for young readers.
It has been removed from reading lists in some schools, but it is not banned nationwide and is still widely taught and sold.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Published | 1951 |
| First known case | Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1960 |
| Main complaints | Profanity, sexual references, rebellion |
| Typical outcome | Removed from a course or reading list at one school or district |
What do people object to?
The most common objections are the swearing and the book's references to sex, including Holden's encounter with a prostitute. Some critics also say that the story presents bad behavior, such as drinking and lying, without punishing it, and that Holden's attitude to adults and authority is a bad model for students.
Today the language is mild compared with much modern fiction, which is one reason the history of the complaints surprises new readers.
↑ Back to the topWhen was it first banned?
The American Library Association's list of challenges begins in 1960. That year a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was fired for assigning the book to an eleventh-grade English class. He appealed and was reinstated by the school board, but the book was removed from use in the school.
↑ Back to the topWhich schools have removed it?
Among the cases on the ALA's list: Issaquah, Washington (1978), where parents objected to the language and the rebellious views; Napoleon, North Dakota (1987), where it was dropped from a required sophomore reading list over profanity and sexual references; Boron, California (1989), where it was removed from classrooms for profanity; and Marysville, California (1997), where it was removed from the required curriculum.
Not every challenge succeeds. At Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia (1997) a student objected to the language and the book was kept, and a 2009 challenge at Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana, is also on record.
↑ Back to the topCan I still read it?
Yes. The American Library Association has said it has been a favorite target of censors since publication, but bans are local decisions, and the novel is sold everywhere and kept by most libraries. Whether it is taught depends on the school or district.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Catcher in the Rye
This guide covers the novel only. Details such as page counts vary by edition.