response to "The Importance of the Work"

You know, i find it extremely funny that they can compare a book like The Catcher In The Rye to The American Heritage Dictionary. Yes Holden curses, but doesnt everyone? Poeple are too caught up in the terrible meaning behind the word then the actually context in which Holden uses the word. They add emphisis and make the statement bolder. Holden does just say "F you" for the hell of it. It shows loss innocence on the school walls and this dissapoints him.

"Salinger's novel, of course, was important for much more than the certain words that the self appointed guardians of the public morality fuss over." page 12


On page 13 the author describes how Salinger cannot be held responsible for the misreadings of his novel. This statement is so true. Who are we to say that Holden is the character that Salinger really wanted to portray to us and that we dont have the completly wrong idea of him?