“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” The Catcher in the Rye: a novel written by J. D. Salinger, published in July 16 , 1951 by Little, Brown Company. The novels tells us the life of a teenager in New York, who struggles with not having the ability to do what he beliefs and encounters several interesting  people from all walks of life, including his siblings, a prostitute, and his loved ones, which actually serve as a way to describe Holden, who is an aspect of Salinger.

Born on January 1, 1919, in New York, J.D. shares a similar childhood with Holden. Raised by an upper-class family, got sent and kicked out of many private schools, but excelled at English. Whilst in Holden’s case, is the same. “…Hartzell thinks you’re a hotshot in English and he knows you’re my roommate. So I mean don’t stick all the commas and stuff in the right place.” Also, Salinger wanted to be a writer and go to Hollywood, just as Holden’s brother D.B. We could say, Holden acts as a reflection of J.D.’s younger self.

This book’s audience relies on teenagers, since the novel has a teenage protagonist. Some thesis arrive to the conclusion that everyone needs to read The Catcher in the Rye or a similar story to become psychologically mature. American adults who have not read The Catcher in the Rye or have not experienced similar emotions, those whose minds live in the awkwardness and drama of High School  and have not moved on with their lives, not even from their parents’ basement.

This novel, stays considered a Bildungsroman, type of novel having to do with the process of development and maturing of a -young- protagonist, even though Holden’s “central goal is to resist the process of maturity itself” (Sparknotes). The initial quote tells us Mr. Antolini worries about Holden thinking of “dying nobly” doing what he wants and believes to do: to protect innocence and to keep himself and his surroundings from moving on. He insists on Holden to continue his education and follow instantly, without any doubt, the path he chooses to live.

The Catcher in the Rye: Banned in several states, cities and counties in the United States. One of the main reasons of this censorship consists on schools and parents wanting to preserve “innocence”, just like Holden, and trying to erase the “f*** you”’s written on the walls. Unlike Holden, they DO NOT accept change. For many years, authorities tend to impose certain -social and moral- rules and these, supposed to help the population or community, certainly do or do not. Quite a few years ago,  when the novel arrived to the market, Ohio, Florida, North Dakota, Alabama, California and New Hampshire banned it. Some examples of “unacceptable” content: foul language, anti-capitalist ideas, treatment of sexuality, atheism and violence. As this review mentions, the banning of the story tries to preserve innocence. So, we wonder, does this so-called innocence persists or even exists nowadays? The answer for many, including teenagers who HAVE NOT read the book, is no. Any kind of innovative idea exists as a form of corruption and transformation, see it the way you see it. So, why worry about some kids losing their innocence to The Catcher in the Rye, when innocence no longer prevails.

Considering the fact that this novel, published so long ago, which tells a timeless and relatable story to anyone who has gone or goes at the moment through puberty shows the meaning and importance of Salinger’s work in the modern age. “Everything is repeated, in a circle. History is a master because it teaches us that it doesn't exist. It's the permutations that matter.” ? Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum. No matter the setting and time in which this story continues to influence young and old minds, there will always exist more than one person who lives a similar experience as Holden. And this person or community perhaps feels wrong and abnormal, leading to feel alone or misunderstood due to lack of information either sensibility. Whilst adults re-reading The Catcher in the Rye, commented on how the novel makes them feel about and reflect on their lives. “We didn’t feel that we were reliving an experience akin to awkward slow-dancing and first kisses. We felt that were reading something relevant and important” (Huffington Post). As with any transcendental work of art, the experience changes when someone develops a different point of view.

The Catcher in the Rye, for some, acts as a big “F*** YOU” on the wall, so big even the grown-ups’ hands will not live able to blind their children’s eyes. Although it appears inevitable, they insist on halting the next generation’s maturity and competence by surrounding them in a bubble of complacency and false childhood.