Introduction Throughout the history of arts and literature, censorship has been a widely-debated topic, often evoking controversies. It is a universally acknowledged fact that art is subjective. What one person considers heavenly can be an absolute hell for another. It is, therefore, difficult to delicately handle the strings of the sensitive matter without creating certain friends and certain foes. Although the ultimate motto must be kept in mind- “art for art’s sake”. Since its first publication in 1951, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger has been named amongst the highly controversial yet widely beloved works of art. Despite being banned in classrooms and libraries across the world, “The Catcher in the Rye” has been crowned as one of the finest pieces of literature of all times. …show more content…
Their art is not merely art; it’s a cause- to deliver to the world in written all that could not be spoken. If artists start to censor themselves, their thoughts, ideas, understanding, their truths, their will, and all of their being for the sake of offending no one, true art would cease to exist altogether. Obnoxious language usage. Alcohol abuse. Brazen sexual references. Deceitful conduct. Blasphemy. Angst. A wholesome blend of these elements were bound to create a tsunami of controversy, yet they and so much more can be found in between the pages of J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, a 1951 literary classic Despite being a constant threat in the eyes of the censor board, J.D. Salinger never let his quill shiver from being a spokesperson of his thoughts. “If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.” Benjamin Franklin, Apology for Printers
What would happen to the world if kids of any age were able to watch any movie, listen to any song, and create any art they wanted? Well for starters, that would never happen, but that would be complete freedom, right? Artists, just like regular people, have their own individual opinions, but unlike regular people, some artist face censorship when expressing their ideas. In Artistic Freedom, Holden, the main character of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, originally feels that art should be censored because it could be considered harmful to children’s mindsets.
In 1951 J.D. Salinger’s book, The Catcher In The Rye rocketed to Number 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. Over the course of three days, the novel delves into the life of a troubled teenager undergoing the loss of a family member. Considered one of the most disputed books, the novel exhibits vulgar language, irreverent behavior, sexual references, and subversion to both family principles and moral values. Regardless, in the June Edwards article “The Censorship in Schools” Holden Caulfield’s troubling behavior is justified. She states that his mistakes are not a fair representation of him and should not be used to counter the book’s message.
There are different types of censorship like schools banning books and people vandalizing art they deem as offensive. Certain cities must create an insurance policy and warning for artists because so many people destroy their work. Under the article Vandalism by Pauline Barrier, she states that in the United States, “All art shown under a Council's auspices… should be insured so that there is some sort of way in which to help artists repair their work if damage does occur” (2). It is terrible that for someone to express their art freely they must have it extra protected and insured. Censoring the works of very imaginative artists destroys the uniqueness and individuality our society holds.
As previously stated, Ray Bradbury deals with some issues of censorship in his book Fahrenheit 451. In this novel the entire population is controlled and censored and things are terrible because of it. As said in the book. “We are living in a time when flowers are trying to live off flowers, instead of growing on food rain and black loam.”. It means we need to read books and learn to truly grow instead of just living off each other.
Catcher in the Rye A. Introduction The Catcher in the Rye by: J. D. Salinger was banned for a reason. Many felt that the books language was a little to colorful, but others loved it with all their heart. The people that hated said book, challenged the book and got it banned. But from what I 've read this is a battle over a book, one that has lasted five or six generations.
From the moment it was published in the 1950s, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has been a lightning rod for controversy. While some argue that the book is a timeless coming-of-age story that provides teenagers with a much-needed sense of empathy and that banning it would infringe on free speech and limit access to valuable literature, others maintain that its inappropriate themes and language make it unsuitable for young readers. This essay asserts that The Catcher in the Rye should be prohibited in schools and libraries due to its explicit language, frequent suicidal ideation, and inappropriate sexual content. The book's explicit language has sparked concern among many readers, particularly due to the offensive vocabulary used by Holden Caulfield.
but the book has also sparked wild discussions about its content and if it should be taught in schools across the country. Although The Catcher In The Rye presents strong sexual themes and vulgar language, these aspects showcase the characters ' deepest emotions while staying true to the human experience and the power of language. The very same issues that cause the catcher in the rye to climb the banned book list, sexual themes and vulgar language, are exactly the things that make this piece worth teaching in high school curriculums, as they show readers the truest
I believe that the author’s thesis is about the issue of censorship and how it impacts our First Amendment. The author presents us a two different perspective of the issue. Such as, our practice of our First Amendment can lead us to a place where someone can create materials that we may find offensive. But are protected by the First Amendment at the same time could have people who want to limit offensive material and therefore, through censorship are limiting the First Amendment rights of others. To demonstrate her point, Susan Jacoby, interviewed a small sample of women to gather their perspective about an image from a Playboy magazine.
Take the shot from the weapon. ’”(Bradbury 55-56) ; This quote not only is dealing with censorship, but the fact that society has standards for everyone to be the same. Some things in our world get censored because it’s different and it doesn’t fit what people think is cool, cute or funny, etc. “ ‘Cram them full of noncombustible data, chock them so damned full of ‘facts’ they feel stuffed, but absolutely ‘brilliant’ with information.
Text Analysis Practicum Course Instructor: Dr. Lorelei Caraman Dimişcă Bianca-Melania Russian - English Childhood vs. adulthood in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” “The Catcher in the Rye” is a novel written by J.D. Salinger in 1951. The book is one of the most controversial books ever written and its popularity comes from the author’s rough attitude towards society from the perspective of a teenager. “The Catcher in the Rye” is thought to be J.D. Salinger’s masterpiece and it is listed as one of the best novels of the 20th century. In 2009 Finlo Rohrer affirmed that even 58 years later after the book has been published it is still considerate “the defining work on what it is like to be a teenager”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye)
So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really even got started.” (Pg. 242-243-244) The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger that consists of main character Holden, who is also the narrator. This novel mostly concentrates on Holden’s alienation, throughout he tries to bring himself back in the society by meeting other people and talking to them about his life and questions but just fails.
In every novel around the globe you can find carefully constructed paragraphs, written by the author to send a specific message to the readers. In The catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, one particular section overflows with symbolism, metaphors, and hidden messages. By analyzing the passage’s diction, setting, and selection of detail it is possible discern the less overt statements hidden in the text and reveal the turbulent nature of the main character, Holden Caulfield. The diction of this passage appears to be the key in unraveling Holden’s mood swings.
The book, The Catcher in the Rye, takes place in the years of the 1940s-1950s of New York City. Author J.D. Salinger expresses in the book about the struggles and the countless amount of stereotypes and establishments of the American society. Holden Caulfield, J.D Salinger’s protagonist, gives perspectives of society’s conflicts and facets of society. Holden addresses that would should not change, but should be preserved within a glass case at a museum. Now explore the varieties of encounters and how the give an example of the theme of conflict between control and independence that the protagonist confronts in the book, The Catcher in the Rye.
The current laws criminalise selling, distributing and publicly displaying obscene or pornographic material. The primary concern underlying this is safeguarding of public morality and decency” . But due to the enactment of such laws the freedom of art under the fundamental right of Freedom of Speech and expression gets violated. “Freedom of Speech and expression means the right to express one’s own convictions and opinions freely by words of mouth, writing, printing, pictures or any other mode. The essence of free speech is the ability to think and speak freely and to obtain information from others through publications and public discourse without fear of retribution, restriction, or repression by the government.
Should we allow this art in our museums or in our schools? That is what authors Beisel, Dunkel, and Kristol are each discussing and sharing in their works. Although they may each come to different conclusions as to whether or not art should be censored, they each use facts, studies, and personal examples, to show ethos, pathos, and logos, to prove their argument. These discussions about free expression and censorship all come down to an assessment of the values that society finds most important.