Responsible parents do their best to make sure their children avoid harmful influences to their young, moldable minds. When some parents at Boron High School in California began complaining about their children reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, other people began to question whether it was appropriate for school. Parents argued that the main character, Holden Caulfield, who struggles with depression and other psychological disorders, is too rebellious and promotes immoral behavior. Like Boron High School, many schools across the country have banned the infamous novel. Though the novel does provide an insight into teen depression, these schools were correct in banning the book due to its glorification of premarital sex, vulgar
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Throughout the novel, Holden gets drunk and talks about getting drunk numerous times; he also smokes constantly. At one point he begins flirting with a singer in a bar and says, “I probably wouldn’t have done it, but I was getting drunk as hell” (Salinger 165). When readers see Holden having an amusing time getting drunk, it allows them to assume they could have just as much fun if they got drunk. In much the the same way, when they see how smoking relaxes Holden, there is nothing to keep them from thinking that smoking would do the same for them. The same teenager who discussed vulgar language in Teen Ink also declared, “In the two nights [Holden] is in New York, he is intoxicated a good portion of the time. Being he is only 16, and back then the drinking age was 18, he was indeed drinking underage” (Santipr). While Holden is setting a poor example by binge drinking, he is making matters worse by doing it illegally. High schools already have enough trouble emphasizing the consequences of underage drinking and smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33% of minors claimed to have consumed some amount of alcohol just within the previous month. This illustrates the enormous problem that schools face, and by promoting this book, schools are promoting Holden’s unethical actions performs in it, which goes against the morals that schools are trying to instill in their youth. This book can not be allowed in the education
Throughout the novel, Holden gets drunk and talks about getting drunk numerous times; he also smokes constantly. At one point he begins flirting with a singer in a bar and says, “I probably wouldn’t have done it, but I was getting drunk as hell” (Salinger 165). When readers see Holden having an amusing time getting drunk, it allows them to assume they could have just as much fun if they got drunk. In much the the same way, when they see how smoking relaxes Holden, there is nothing to keep them from thinking that smoking would do the same for them. The same teenager who discussed vulgar language in Teen Ink also declared, “In the two nights [Holden] is in New York, he is intoxicated a good portion of the time. Being he is only 16, and back then the drinking age was 18, he was indeed drinking underage” (Santipr). While Holden is setting a poor example by binge drinking, he is making matters worse by doing it illegally. High schools already have enough trouble emphasizing the consequences of underage drinking and smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33% of minors claimed to have consumed some amount of alcohol just within the previous month. This illustrates the enormous problem that schools face, and by promoting this book, schools are promoting Holden’s unethical actions performs in it, which goes against the morals that schools are trying to instill in their youth. This book can not be allowed in the education