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The Catcher In The RyeThe Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger. Published in 1951, the novel remains controversial today, particularly in the United States, where it was the 13th most frequently challenged book of the 1990s, according to the American Library Association http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top100bannedbooks.html. Its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage angst. In the book, 17-year-old Caulfield relates his experiences of the previous year (when he was 16). Holden flunks out of Pencey Preparatory School after failing all of his subjects with the exception of English. Holden leaves for New York City, planning on spending a few days in the city before telling his parents that he has been kicked out of yet another school. The book, written in the first person, relates Holden's experiences in those days. Publishers Weekly reports that today the majority of readers of The Catcher in the Rye are women. Plot Summary The book covers the 48 hours in Holden's life after being kicked out of Pencey, a prep school, right before the Christmas holidays of 1949. Having been kicked out of many schools already and not wanting to face his parents, he decides to leave school early and spend a few days alone in New York City. Themes The title refers to Holden's ideal job: To be a catcher in the rye. It is a mistaken quote on his part of a line from a lyrical poem Comin' through the Rye by Robert Burns "gin a body meet a body, comin' thro' the rye" It is a thought born of innocence trying to protect innocence. Holden imagines himself standing in a field of rye in which children are playing. In his imagination, there is a cliff just beside the field. He would stand in the field and catch the children if they came too close to the cliff, saving them from falling over it - he would like to be, he says, "the catcher in the rye". This is a metaphor for children losing their innocence and growing up into the "phonies" Holden so despises. The book also deals with phoniness. Holden despises dishonesty and false pretenses, and throughout the book is frequently picking out the "phonies" he sees around him. As a teenage boy who is deeply troubled by his own depression and personal failings, Holden believes that most of the seemingly happy or successful people he encounters are either liars or ignorant. Another theme is alienation. Holden is alienated from the society. Style Sarcasm Though the tone of the novel is gloomy, Holden's sarcastic comments add humor. When Holden watches some men unloading a Christmas tree while taking God's name in vain, he comments: "It certainly was a gorgeous way to talk about a Christmas tree". Controversy The Catcher in the Rye has been shrouded in controversy almost since its beginning. The main reasons for banning it have been the use of offensive language, premarital sex, alcohol abuse, and prostitution. According to wildest theories the book is FBI's or CIA's tool for illegal mind control, which turns everyday people into The Manchurian Candidate. Mark David Chapman, murderer of musician John Lennon, was carrying the book when he was arrested immediately after the murder and referred to it in his statement to police shortly thereafter. http://www.crimelibrary.com/classics4/chapman/. Even though many people like Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley (Reagan's Assassin) have been know to carry this novel, there is a possible and logic reason for it and not because they are "crazy." For the most part, these "crazy" people love this book because of the main charcter Holden Caufield. Throughout the story, Holden is portrayed as a juvenile who rejects and is rejected by many peers and individuals. From this perspective, people like Chapman and Hinckley come to deeply relate themselves to Holden, the person that nobody understands and that can't understand anybody else. Refering back to a undisputed question about this novel, is Holden a hero to be admired? This is where the serial killer relation comes into play. Those who have been know to be obsessed with this story and have gone on to accomplish "crazy" things (as debated it is) are doing these rash acts not because they wish to for the sake of it but to do the act to make Holden a hero. These criminals believe that they personify Holden by being the rejected person they are and that by doing something big, they will make a hero out of Holden. Quoting Mark David Chapman, "I wanted to become just as famous as John Lennon." The 1997 Conspiracy Theory movie, featuring Mel Gibson, uses the book quite prominently, although it does not explicitly link the book's content to the theme of mind control. The anime series has references to the book throughout the series. The main story arc involves the case of a cyber-terrorist known as The Laughing Man, and the use of symbolism referring to the novel as well as some quotes of it. Most notable quote is the one that is plastered on the Laughing Man logo: "I thought what I'd do was pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes". Memorable and Significant Quotes "I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn't have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody." "Anyway, I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will." "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. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." ISBNs - ISBN 0316769533 (hardcover, 1951)
- ISBN 0606048871 (prebound, 1991)
- ISBN 0316769487 (mass market paperback, 1991, reprint)
- ISBN 1561374504 (hardcover, 1998)
- ISBN 0822070383 (cloth text, 2000)
- ISBN 9660305869 (paperback, 2000)
- ISBN 0316769177 (paperback, 2001)
- ISBN 0758778570 (hardcover, 2002)
- ISBN 089064019X (hardcover)
- ISBN 0140237496 (Pocket), 2002
Reference in other works The quote "I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes." is used by a mysterious cyber-criminal in the tv-series "Ghost in the shell:stand alone complex". External links Catcher in the Rye Catcher in the Rye Catcher in the Rye Catcher in the Rye Catcher Catcher in the Rye
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