The Catcher In The Rye is a book that should be kept on the shelves of bookstores and public libraries for all time. It is a book that actually relates to the issues and problems that many teens deal with. This book is not a book of advice by any means, but it shows how the life of one teen was effected by his own decisions, and how you as the reader are suppose go from there on what kind of decisions you make in your own life. The book is a very interesting book, and it does not have a bad influence on teenagers.
The language in this book though is not what attracts teenagers to it. People do not read books so they can see what kind of vulgar language is in it, but they read it for fun and for the morals that come out of the story. In this book though it is part of the character to use vulgar language. That is the only way that Holden Caulfield can express his anger about what happened to him as a young child when his brother Allie died, up to the point in the book when he gets kicked out of Pencey.
In this book Holden is not mentally ill, he is just frustrated, and confused. This is the way that you would find a teenager who had just lost a sibling. It is not something that is taken very easily by anyone, and Holdens ideas for the most part do represent someone who is lost, confused and frustrated, and there is no reason not to take his ideas seriously. Although, most people do not follow the ways of the characters in the books that they read, and I am sure that the author did not intend for his readers to follow Holdens ways.
Again it is just a story that people get enjoyment out of reading, it is not a book to live your life by. Last is that this book as a whole is not an un-American and tasteless book, but an American classic. Of course everyone has their right to their own opinion on books, but if a poll was taken as to whether or not this book was tasteless and un-American the majority would probably vote for the book. There is no reason why this book should be considered un-American, when so many teenagers read and enjoy this book.
In conclusion, The Catcher In The Rye should not be taken off the shelves. The Board of Education is always encouraging students to read books, when one is finally found that is worth reading they try to take it away. That is not the right thing to be doing. If this book is considered as one of the books to be taken off the shelves, it should be reconsidered. There are many other materials and book that are a lot more graphic, and vulgar than this book. So in all respects this book, The Catcher In The Rye, should be kept on the shelves and in public libraries for many years to come.