English

Federico Freile
Blocks: 7
19/06/2013
The Catcher in the Rye
Have you ever finished a book and felt it has changed your thinking in
some way? Sometimes a book can influence your ideals regarding the topics it
addresses and analyzes throughout the novel. The Catcher in the Rye is
definitely a novel that influenced society. After it was published in 1951, Holden
Caulfield quickly became an icon for teenage rebellion. Mark David Chapman,
the killer of John Lennon is a clear example of the influence this novel had in
society. Another example is John Hinckley, when he tried to assassinate
President Ronald Reagan. The Catcher in the Rye was a controversial novel in
1951, and still remains to be one.
In 1981, The Catcher in the Rye became the most censored, yet the
most taught book in the United States. According to the American Library
Association, The Catcher in the Rye was the tenth most frequently challenged
book from 1990 to 1999. (Sylvia, 2001) This was due to the frequent use of
vulgar language from Holden, as well as sexual references. Caulfield also
represents blasphemy, undermining of family values and moral codes. Holden
is a poor role model, encouraging rebellion, promoting drinking, smoking, lying,
and promiscuity. The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything
always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. Nobody'd be different. The
only thing that would be different would be you. (Salinger, 1981) Holden
Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel is a teenager that suffers from disorders,
and consequentially alienates himself hysterically from society. Holden Caulfield
became an icon for the ostracized of society. People started to follow J.D.
English
Federico Freile
Blocks: 7
19/06/2013
Salinger ideals planted and explained through his teenage character Holden.
This was seen as the teenage rebellion.
Mark David Chapman was deeply influenced by this book. On the 8 of
December, 1980, Chapman assassinated John Lennon with a revolver, hitting 4
bullets on his back. John Lennon died of a hemorrhage to the lung. After killing
him, Chapman sat down at the entrance of the building and read The Catcher
in the Rye out loud, until the police came. Three hours later, Chapman
declared that his answer for killing Lennon was on the book. Later on at his
murder trial, Chapman read the passage about catching children in the rye in
his defense. We can infer that he wanted to prevent John Lennon from
becoming a phony person. Holden Caulfield used this term to describe the
personality all adults had in common. It described the superficiality and
hypocrisy of each individual. There is a passage in the book that clearly
displays Holden as a protector of innocence; And I'm standing on the edge of
some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go
over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I
have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd
just be the catcher in the rye and all. (Caulfield, 1981) This quote represents
Holdens intention to alienate himself from society since they were corrupted
and phony, yet he tries to save them from their misery.
There were various attempts of assassinations following up this event,
but one of the most controversial was the killing attempt to the President Ronald
Reagan. John Hinckley, the assassin, became obsessed with Jodie Foster after
watching Taxi Driver. In order to gain her love and attention, Hinckley
English
Federico Freile
Blocks: 7
19/06/2013
attempted to kill the US President. On March 30, 1981, Hinckley shot a .22
caliber six times at Ronald as he was leaving the Hilton Hotel. He wounded
several police officers that surrounded him, but he didnt hit the President
directly. To his bad fortune, a bullet ricocheted off the presidential limousine,
hitting Ronald in the chest. Everyone came out alive, and Hickley was
immediately arrested. He was charged by 13 offenses, but he wasnt guilty by
reason of insanity. We can also infer that he was trying to save him from
becoming phony and corrupted. After the shooting, the police officers found a
copy of the catcher in the Rye on the apartment where he was staying before
the shooting. He was influenced by the Holden, and his intentions of saving
humanity from becoming phony and corrupted.
J.D. Salinger wrote a masterpiece in 1951; a book that would change
society forever. It was soon assigned as a must read book on schools, but later
on becoming banned due to its obscene behaviors that Holden represented. But
what he was really representing was the truth within society; the obscenity that
no one would like to talk or think about. The outcasts of society felt identified by
this hero, this icon created by Salinger that will soon lead to teenage revolution.
Even though it sadly lead to various assassinations, it was the way for some
persons to represent the importance of this novel, the truth about human
maturity, the phoniness we all have inside.



English
Federico Freile
Blocks: 7
19/06/2013
Bibliography:
- Sylvia, A. (2009) A history of J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye. Information
retrieved 19 of June, 2013 from:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070928072611/http://www.slais.ubc.ca/courses/libr559f/03-
04-wt2/projects/S_Andrychuk/Content/history_book_catcher.pdf
- Pbs (2012) John Hinckley Jr. Information retrieved 19 of June, 2013 from:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/reagan-hinckley/