As someone who teaches a lot of Liberal Studies majors (AKA our future teachers), I’d say: Don’t bet on it.
The mom is an idiot
For the record , I absofuckingloutely hated C in the R , but upon remembering the book, I think its ironic that the mom becomes the Catcher in the Rye.
I think thats what Caufield was babbling about , with catching kids before they started having adult problems thrust upon em.
Yeah flame me , I hated the friggen book , so I may have bastardized what salinger actually meant.
Declan
It sounds like you’re saying high school students aren’t familiar with self-pity. Which is a completely ludicrous concept. I don’t think most of my fellow high school sophomores liked the book that much, and I didn’t love it, but it happens. I definitely slogged through worse books in high school.
Jeez!! I feel like such an outcast…
I liked this book. Although I did read it as an adult.
I found it to be quite humorous. (I’m not sure if it was intended to be) This kid’s mind was such a trainwreck I couldn’t help but turn to the next page. I especially found it funny how this kid was the Master at making broad generalizations.
One thing I remember about NOT liking about the book is. If I see the phrase “In all…” used just one more time; my heads gonna explode!!
As to the OP. Gimme a fucking break! This is a book suited for “Leave It To Beaver” FCOL!!
The practice in question was fairly common in my hs; when it came to symbolism, we would discuss it in another work which we had all read. However, when it came to dividing up works, we often applied it to the values contemporary to the time. For example, Catcher in the Rye is early post-modern; how were teens treated, what was significant to becoming an adult? these issues also occur in a Separate Peace and a few others at the time, and a fruitful discussion can be had from discussing these.
That’s not what I meant, but I can see how my clumsily worded post might give that impression. I just think that Catcher in the Rye is an artificial book set in a remote time which doesn’t really speak to contemporary readers.
And yes, teens are way familiar with self-pity, but I don’t think it’s a trait to be encouraged.
I didn’t like Catcher in the Rye when I read it as a teen. It wasn’t until I read it as an adult (at which point I identified more with the adults in the books than with the protagonist) that I really began to appreciate how well it is written.
I’m not sure 14-year-olds are well-equipped to appreciate the irony inherent in Holden’s little urban odyssey, though.
And to avoid getting this bumped to Cafe Society: this woman needs a thump with the clue stick.
For my book report today, I read this month’s issue of Maxim…
Can we all agree that I Am the Cheese needs to be banned?
Please?
For the love of all that is holy and good?
How about for the love of evil?
I don’t know. But *Who Moved My Cheese? * certainly should. 
In a recent article about YA literature that ran in Harpers, the author asked YA librarians who the best author was in the genre. They answered, overwhelmingly it seems, in favor of Robert Cormier. Sure, they could be wrong, but I think Cheese was a pretty unique and poignant book. I still remember it well 20 years after I read it, which is more than I can say for most books.
Most higher schoolers DO understand the book. Sadly, you just weren’t (or aren’t) one of them.
I read The Catcher in the Rye my senior year of high school, and fucking loved it.
Of course the kid is narrow-minded and somewhat annoying! That’s the point. It’s obvious in the book that his attitude ruins his life. It also shows the good side of him, the way he cares for his sister.
I think he grows throughout the book. He’s still not perfect at the end, but he begins to change his outlook on life.
I was totally able to identify it.
I read Catcher in the Rye and Grapes of Wrath in the same semester. Most people in my class liked the first and hated the second, but I was one of the few who felt the opposite. Grapes of Wrath had a lot of interesting social commentary and powerful imagery, while Catcher in the Rye had - well, a total fucking moron for a protagonist.
Grapes of Wrath is another that has been banned, believe it or not. I’ll try to find a cite. I love the book but Steinbeck lets it drag on for a few chapters too many—he couldn’t find a good ending, IMHO.
I liked Catcher in the Rye, too. Sure there aren’t a lot of kids that talk like Holden Caufield, but there are kids who can relate to his attitude. As a teen I was fairly distrustful of everyone, had low-self esteem and blamed the world for my problems. Was I being a moron about it? Sure, but at least the book let me have a laugh about the whole thing. Holden has a lot of anxiety over life in general; he doesn’t really feel like he fits in anywhere, so the entire world is messed up in his viewpoint.
understanding the book (which is easy because it’s a tediously obvious work) and haveing it speak to me are two different propositions.
And my high school days are long behind me.
PABBIS is a repeat offender. They tried to ban I am the Cheese because:
They have a list of books and their reasons for wanting them out of schools, but they filed “The Chocolate War” under “T” :rolleyes:
Jesus-what do they do-take every book off the shelves and deliberately search out the dirty parts?
I used to :D.
- Tamerlane