GIANNA RIVERA LITERATURE’S

Novels can have a profound effect on people. A book can not only expose one's mind to different beliefs and cultures, but also help humans understand and make sense of their own emotions. Yet, there are some cases where instead of empathy, novels invoke psychopathy Some readers feel so deeply about the characters that they develop a need to be them, or do anything to please them, as if they are no longer fictional characters in a book they have read.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger has been considered a masterpiece of modern literature as well as a cultural phenomenon since 1951. Its main character, Holden Caulfield, became an iconic figure of teenage angst, rebellion, and disillusionment, making it a rite of passage for countless young people seeking to understand the complexities of growing up. This coming-of-age story follows the journey of a teenage boy, Holden, as he navigates his way through the intricacies of growing up and the challenges of adolescence. The story follows Holden as he gets expelled from his private school, and instead of going home, he decides to spend a few days walking around New York City on his own Throughout the novel, Holden is portrayed as a troubled and negative person, whose mental state slowly deteriorates through the story as he struggles to fit into society and make sense of the world around him. He is deeply cynical about society and sees it as phony and superficial, the only pure, innocent part about it, is the children Holden feels as though it was his job to protect the young children who knew nothing of the world yet

Gianna’s interest in criminology has led her to continue her education at FDU this Fall, majoring in Criminal Justice with a Forensics concentration Hawthorne has been Gianna’s home for 18 years, where she thrived academically, participating in the NHS, IHS, and multiple AP classes, as well as extracurriculars such as softball. Preparing and completing the ELA research paper on her chosen topic solidified Gianna’s decision to focus the next four years researching the criminal justice system. Gianna would like to thank her parents and English teacher, Ms. Nassery, for helping her complete this rigorous paper

Effect On Serial Killers

Towards the end of the book, Holden realizes that he is unable to reconcile his feelings of isolation and confusion about growing up and not fitting in, but instead hopes that he can become a protector of innocence and make sure no child grows up as he did

Since the year that this book was published in 1951, it has garnished both popularity and criticism and has been censored for its themes of mental illness, violence, and mature content. While the novel was famous before these following events, it became infamous and associated with murder after its association with these two violent cases: John Hinckley Jr, the man who attempted to assassinate the then-President, Ronald Reagan in 1981, and Mark David Chapman who murdered musician John Lennon in 1980 These connections have provoked a great deal of debate over the influence of literature on behavior. Both Hinckley and Chapman were said to be highly influenced by The Catcher in the Rye to commit their crimes and the novel’s themes of alienation and isolation and their connection to the main character Holden only furthered their belief and need to even think about seriously harming someone

The censorship of The Catcher in the Rye has been a subject of controversy for decades, and is still in the top ten most challenged books of all time, with its portrayal of themes such as mental illness, alienation, and mature, sexual content, many have sought to ban this book from libraries and keep it away from children It was also briefly banned in a few states due to