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J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel “The Catcher in the Rye” has long been a staple of high school reading lists, though it has also frequently been banned from them. The story is told by Holden Caulfield, a rebellious 17-year old who has just been expelled from prep school. The novel is considered a classic of American literature, and Holden is thought to be a character every teenager can relate to—but is this still true today? Listen to hear about how this novel earned its status as a classic and the arguments in the debate about whether it should still be required reading for high school students.
Fiction Classics Literature American Literature Realistic Fiction Young Adult Literature Culture Censorship
Story Length: 4:11
© 2008 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 08/30/2008
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