Photo Source: ✍️ Author’s Book 📖 Collection
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Since The Catcher In The Rye was originally intended for adult readers it’s unlikely that it would’ve created the uproar that ultimately resulted so many decades ago. The obsessive, controlling nannyism of our society to “protect” so-called public morals is still absurd and was even more prevalent in the false-front 1950s. In those days social media was unknown but thanks to word-of-mouth and with the novel containing so much “taboo” content — teens would naturally want to get their hands on copies which could be bought from any number of retailers.
It certainly didn’t hurt that the main protagonist was part of their own age group. Additionally, the rise of cheap, mass-market paperbacks which emerged during World War Two and the huge postwar consumer market (especially of teens with disposable income) created the perfect storm to make The Catcher In The Rye a huge contentious best-seller. None of this is surprising, but what is surprising are some of the novel’s themes that adult society lost their minds over.
It seems that every generation of parents look back on their own adolescent years with blinders on. They love to claim how well-behaved they were, never disobedient, disrespectful, never broke curfew, rolled their eyes, or ever talked back to their parents. Uh-huh. Yeah, right! Every generation of parents also love to tell their offspring how they were never difficult in school, didn’t have issues with teachers or other authority figures.
In fact, every generation of teens have been troubled to one degree or another and have rebelled against authorities (parents, school, or otherwise) in some fashion. Therefore, the themes and events that unspool in The Catcher In The Rye shouldn’t have been entirely shocking. There numerous “egregious” things that critics of Salinger’s novel took issue with. To begin with, it’s comical to me and lame that some critics kick up a fuss about the poor quality of the prose. According to a Wikipedia article, Washington Post critic Jonathan Yardley stated in 2004 that reading the novel again was a “painful experience”.
He couldn’t understand (this is a direct quote) “Why do English teachers, whose responsibility it is to teach good writing, repeatedly and reflexively require students to read a book as badly written as this one?” It seems simple enough that an English teacher reiterate to their students what proper language structure is and that this story is from the point of view of a distraught, rebellious teenage who isn’t really concerned about all of that. The protagonist Holden Caulfield has disjointed thoughts that flip back and forth between events, and if he was keeping a journal things would likely be written down that way as well. This is very human behavior regardless of what is taught in school English classes.
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Critics of The Catcher In The Rye were greatly bothered by the overarching theme of teenage alienation from and rebellion against society. This was especially problematic in the 1950s as conformity to so-called conservative values was expected in business, family life, education, political beliefs, and so forth. Individuality and being a free spirit were very much discouraged in most circles. Any independent, free-thinking persons were suspect as being unpatriotic, communists, and sympathetic to or actively supporting enemies of the United States.
However, as Holden Caulfield perceives it conformity is also phony and not in the best interests of his generation. He sees adults as self-serving and only caring about superficial things. Although The Catcher In The Rye is considered by some to be a very dated read today, what Caulfield is hostile towards are still prevalent themes today, and especially with our current political situation and renewed attempts to create an ever more conforming, corporatist society. It’s plainly apparent that Caulfield wasn’t enthusiastic about becoming just another subservient little junior executive — or what I love referring to as a corporate drone. If he had been concerned about career, money, and status then he wouldn’t continuously be expelled from fancy prep schools which is a central aspect of Holden’s life.
Although his parents are briefly referred to as not being home over the holidays to immediately find out about Holden’s latest expulsion, this suggests they are uncaring or inattentive. With that said, I do agree with critics who state that by the end of The Catcher In The Rye Holden has not matured or changed his aimless, irresponsible ways for the better. Teenagers must learn about responsibility and eventually having to make their own way in the world. They cannot continually blame their parents for everything wrong in their lives. In any case, The Catcher In The Rye is still a novel and shouldn’t be taken as a guidebook for choosing an errant life path. I think the many critics of the story and the schools which have banned the book since 1960 are, quite frankly, overreacting.
I also agree with those (to a point) who take issue with the profanity which permeates the book, but then again, teenagers often behave one way around their parents and church associates (if they attend one) and quite differently at school and elsewhere. I can certainly attest to that when I was a teen. Although I was hardly a juvenile delinquent and never was in trouble with law, I wasn’t exactly an angel either and didn’t usually get caught for drinking, smoking or having a foul mouth. There is another important plot point, though where I understand critics, educators, and parents take issue with.
At one point, Holden has an unpleasant encounter with a prostitute and her pimp which I won’t elaborate on here for anyone who hasn’t read the book yet. Suffice it to say that this incident is an important detail of his difficulties handling the adult “phony” world and gets in over his head. For most teens then or now encountering a prostitute would be unlikely. Maybe in the privileged world of Holden Caulfield there would be the money available for that and being free to access the seedier parts of town to have that type of experience to begin with.
For the majority of teens this would be an absurd scenario— especially if you grew up in a small town and congregation where you knew everyone like I did…trust me, you’re not getting away with something like that. For the most part, though there isn’t much about The Catcher In The Rye that should be so objectionable in our present, much more permissive and jaded era.
