The Catcher in the Rye Ch. 3.2: Why Ban a Book That Shows People Are Complicated? | Why Books Get Banned

Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship · Jan 29, 2026 · 23m

Ackley barges into Holden's room and proceeds to do everything wrong: picks up personal items, clips his toenails on the floor after being asked 50 times to use the table, and laughs when Holden gets hit in the head with a tennis racket. But instead of just calling him an asshole, Holden says "I felt sort of sorry for him in a way." Then he defends Stradlater—the conceited guy—by pointing out he'd literally give you his tie if you liked it. When Ackley says "If I had his dough I would too," Holden fires back: "No you wouldn't." People aren't one thing. That's the lesson that gets books…