Response to "The Importance of the Work"

I have to say that I've been opposed to banning of books for quite some time. To ban a book like The Catcher in the Rye based on cursing and morality is ridiculous. I didn't learn curse words from The Catcher in the Rye and I, certainly, didn't build my morals according to Holdens. I agree with the author of this article, on page 12 they state "Talk about novels belongs in all sort of places- classrooms, living rooms, dormitories, coffeehouses, neighborhood taverns, community centers, even in the pages of studies such as this one- but not in courts of law..." I also agree with the author in later saying that J.D. Salinger is not accountable for misreadings of his novel. I understand we all have different minds and interpret things in different ways, but that is no reason for banning a book.

I think my favorite part of the this article was the first full paragraph on page thirteen, where the author discribes Holden's character as a real person and as a mirror image of our faces. I think that idea is what makes The Catcher in the Rye such a success, how many of us go through the day thinking like Holden? We don't always say it out loud, but we think like him, all of us.

Over all, I rather enjoyed reading this article. Happy holidays everyone =-)