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`CATCHER' OFF REQUIRED LIST : MARYSVILLE PARENT COMPLAINS OF PROFANITY IN SALINGER CLASSIC.


Byline: Carlos Alcala Scripps-McClatchy Western Service

``The Catcher in the Rye'' is not being completely banned in Marysville, but its academic role is in question.

In response to a parent who counted how many times the book used ``Chrissakes,'' ``damn,'' ``puke'' and other ``profanities,'' the superintendent of the Marysville Joint Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts.  has pulled the 1951 classic by J.D. Salinger from the required curriculum.

``This is not an issue of book banning,'' said Superintendent Peter Pillsbury, who said district policy gave him the authority to pull the book.

The novel will be available to students, but no longer required, and its general use will be discussed.

The district will set up a parent committee to review literature for school use, Pillsbury said.

The matter began last year when a Marysville High School Marysville High School is a public school located in Marysville, California, USA within the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The school mascot is the Indians (the "offensive" nickname itself caused controversy for two decades, but the school board voted to keep the mascot  junior came home and showed her parents the book she was assigned for American Literature American literature, literature in English produced in what is now the United States of America. Colonial Literature


American writing began with the work of English adventurers and colonists in the New World chiefly for the benefit of readers in
.

``She said, `I think you better look at the book they want us to read,' '' recalled Pam Souza, the girl's mother.

In response to initial complaints, several students were given a substitute book, Souza said. ``The Red Badge red badge

symbol of the conquest of fear. [Am. Lit.: Red Badge of Courage]

See : Bravery
 of Courage,'' set in the Civil War, replaced ``Catcher,'' the story of an angry high-school dropout (1) On magnetic media, a bit that has lost its strength due to a surface defect or recording malfunction. If the bit is in an audio or video file, it might be detected by the error correction circuitry and either corrected or not, but if not, it is often not noticed by the human .

Souza stressed that she and her husband, Steve, were not trying to have the book banned, but felt American Literature classes should study something else.

``We live in America. You can like garbage,'' she said. ``We just felt there had to be better books out there.''

The book's language and themes have made it a perennial perennial, any plant that under natural conditions lives for several to many growing seasons, as contrasted to an annual or a biennial. Botanically, the term perennial  target. One list of the 50 books most attacked between 1990 and 1992 had ``Catcher'' at No. 3.

Even so, the novel still sells an estimated 250,000 copies a year. It is considered a literary classic and is widely taught as a realistic look at youth's disaffection with the grown-up grown-up  
adj.
1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion.

2.
 world.

Salinger's writing reputation is so great that it was considered major literary news when, earlier this year, it was revealed that one of his old magazine stories would be republished in book form.
COPYRIGHT 1997 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1997, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:May 4, 1997
Words:344
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