Catcher in the Rye

Please click the link to get a synopsis:Catcher in the Rye There are two reasons I picked this book. One it is on the list and I plan to read all the books on the list. The other is because I have heard and read that this book was very controversial. I, of course, then had to read it on that basis alone. This point in my life, being in my thirties, I have learned that I need to form my own opinions on my knowledge alone not based on what other people have told me or what they think I should do. (oh, if I only learned this in my twenties, the heartaches I would have saved myself) I really did enjoy this book. It was vastly entertaining. However, on that note, I soon found out what the controversy is. The phrase G_ D___ is used all over the place. Also towards the end, another word is used, that to me, is vastly offensive (another word used to describe the act ofpro create to put it mildly) I totally believe a good book can be written without having to actually have these words be used. That being said, I do realize that words are really just words and depending on what culture you live in, the people in that culture have decided what words are "bad" words. In this country there are words that we consider "bad" and that is just the way it is. I can even say the d word comes out, under my breath, more than I like to admit ( I blame having children that like to make me crazy all day long) However, I always say God does not have a last name and we in this country just throw His name around like it has no meaning and that is wrong. This book has been given for reading in high school English classes around the country, and this is where the controversy lies. Luckily, I had teachers who thought of the minds they had an impression on and were very careful as to what we should read and not. I did go to a high school which, back in that time, was pretty conservative. Parents were also more involved when I went to school (and really when I think about it was not that long ago--unless you are a teenager reading this than you probably think I am as old as dirt. 16 years is a very short time for things to change as much as they have) and did not just rely on the teacher to educate but actually got involved in one way or another. I also had parents who thought that if there was going to be any damage done physically or emotionally that would go up to that classrooom faster than you could even say the title of the book I am writing on. Most of the parents of the kids I went to school with were like this and I believe that makes a world of difference in what is taught in our schools. I would not allow my teenager to read this in the high school years due to the language and also the sexual references throughout. This is one of the things I love about homeschooling, I get to monitor what they will read. I will never be one of those parents who just sits back and says "Well ,I heard it was good so read it" or "Well, the teacher picked it so it must be o.k." If my children were in the public school system then I would be reading what they were reading right along with them. Now that i have gotten off my soapbox, I really enjoyed getting into the mind of the main character on his three day journey and the things that he endured along the way. It also gives some insight into the mind of a teenage boy and the way their brains work. I also got out of it, a lot of what is mentioned above. It is our job as parents to raise our children, not hope that somebody else can take care of the problem elsewhere with an education in another place. It also shows that just because you have money does not mean that there are less problems. Kids face the same issues whether they are from money or not. Sometimes there may even be more issues.