A Different Kind of Censorship

Reading Catcher in the Rye, and knowing the scrutiny it has been put under, I couldn't help but do some research on why it has been so often challenged and censored. For the most part, it seems to be censored for most of the same reasons R rated movies are restricted to people over 17. In most cases, school teachers or school districts criticized the vulgar language and sexuality, deeming the content unsuitable for high school aged children. This flavor of censorship, to me, is far milder, and more broadly understood and appreciated.

I found the literary criticism we read particularly interesting with this in mind, seeing that it focussed on the content and profound arguments and theme in Catcher, only briefly touching on incidences of banning. Additionally, the repeated bannings and resurgence of challenges against the book demonstrate how different the controversy it created was compared to The Crucible or Harry Potter. Catcher in the Rye continues, even in 2009, to be one of the most banned books in high schools.