"The catcher in the Rye" Persuassive essay

"The Catcher in the Rye created adolescence as we now know it, a condition that barely existed until Salinger defined it. He established whining rebellion as essential to adolescence and it has remained such ever since.” (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post)
The Catcher in the Rye is a book published by J.D. Salinger in 1951. Originally written for adults, it tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a conflicted young man, who leaves Pencey Prep and goes to New York. Throughout the years, the book has caused a lot of controversy because of its contents and has made a very big impact in modern society. It has been cited after Mark David Chapman's shooting of John Lennon (who was arrested with his worn copy of the book, which had a scribbled note inside: “This is my statement, From Holden Caulfield.”); Robert John Bardo's shooting of Rebecca Schaeffer, and Arthur Bremer’s assassination attempt on George Wallace. We think that the Catcher in the Rye should not be taught in schools because it encourages irresponsibility, teenage rebellion and profanity, among others.
As James S. Coleman once said, “If we refuse to accept as inevitable the irresponsibility and educational unconcern of the adolescent culture, then this poses a serious challenge.” Throughout the story, Holden is portrayed as an irresponsible character. He lost his school’s fencing equipment on the subway in New York, is flunking many subjects in school, and as a consequence has been expelled once again. It has been proved in many cases that students have taken Holden Caulfield as a role model. Shelley Keller-Gage, a high school teacher who faced objections after assigning the novel in her class, noted that the students "are being just like Holden... They are trying to be catchers in the rye”.
Most teenagers, at some point in their lives, will openly defy the advice and authority of their parents and other figures of this sort. This is known as teenage rebellion, and even though it is common in the majority of young adults, Holden handles it in all the wrong ways. He gets involved with unhealthy habits such as underage smoking and drinking, skipping school and lying to his parents, among others. The purpose of this course of action is for the adolescent to “find his own place in this world”, and learn to distinguish right from wrong. However, this book sets a wrong example for students facing the same situation, given that it promotes this kind of behavior and makes a paradigm out of the main character of the story.
Why would someone teach a novel filled with bad words, when teachers generally punish students who use them? Profanity can be seen all over the story. Holden is constantly insulting, showing disrespect and being rude and vulgar. Studies have shown that swearing occasionally is rather good for the person who does it, especially when he or she is hurt. However, it is a different situation for someone who uses this type of language on a regular basis, such as Holden. Psychologist Richard Stephens of Keele University in England, who led one of these studies, has said: "I would advise people, if they hurt themselves, to swear. However, overuse of swear words tends to diminish their beneficial effect” . Using profanity in a novel can make it somewhat amusing, yet in the case of those taught in schools for adolescent students (who are clearly under age), it is not proper to use this form of speech. Things young adults learn, are likely to never be forgotten.
Indeed a case can be made that "The Catcher in the Rye" had a big influence on adolescence as we now know it, a condition that barely existed until Salinger defined it and established whining rebellion as an essential part of the concept as well. However, even though 50 years ago the novel was considered edgy and controversial, today it lacks of the shock value it once had and has lost some of its critical status as well. Therefore, we believe that it should not be taught in schools given that, as it has been previously stated, it encourages irresponsibility, teenage rebellion and profanity. We cannot expose our children to this kind of behavior… We cannot let them become little Catchers in the Rye…