The Catcher in the Rye in popular culture
The 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger has had a lasting influence as it remains both a bestseller and a frequently challenged book. Numerous works in popular culture have referenced the novel. Factors contributing to the novel's mystique and impact include its portrayal of protagonist Holden Caulfield; its tone of sincerity; its themes of familial neglect, tension between teens and society, and rebellion; its previous banned status; and Salinger's reclusiveness. "The Catcher in the Rye" has inspired "rewrites" which have been said to form their  own genre. On the other hand, there are examples of similarities between the novel and other works that were not intended by their authors, which suggests that the novel is "present, at least spiritually, in ... any story line that involves quirky young people struggling to find their places in a society prone to reward conformity and condemn individuality." While the novel is linked to several murders and murder attempts, it has been claimed that the novel's overall effect on society is "far more positive than negative." The novel also helped popularize the slang verb "screw up". From the late  2000s into the 2020s, there has been a discussion of depression as exhibited in Holden Caulfield. Shootings. The best-known event associated with "The Catcher in the Rye" is arguably Mark David Chapman's murder of John Lennon. Chapman identified with the novel's narrator to the extent that he wanted to change his name to Holden Caulfield. On the night he shot Lennon, Chapman was found with a copy of the book in which he had written "This is my statement" and signed Holden's name. Later, he read a passage from the novel to address the court during  his sentencing. Daniel Stashower speculated that Chapman had wanted Lennon's innocence to be preserved by death, inspired by Holden's wish to preserve children's innocence despite Holden's later realization that children should be left alone. After John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981, police found "The Catcher in the Rye" in his hotel room. Hinckley later admitted to being an admirer of Chapman and studying his attempt on John Lennon. Hinckley's possession of the novel was later dismissed as an influence, as a half dozen various other types of books were also  discovered in his possession. Robert John Bardo, who murdered Rebecca Schaeffer, was carrying the book when he visited Schaeffer's apartment in Hollywood on July 18, 1989 and murdered her. Films. Although Salinger had refused a film adaptation, many Hollywood films have based characters on Holden Caulfield. Holden has been identified as "one of the most reproduced characters on film." Furthermore, many such films reference each other. Anthony Caputi, a specialist in dramatic literature at Cornell University, claims that the novel inspires both "variations" and "imitations", comparing it with several coming-of-age films. Books. "The Catcher in the Rye  has had significant cultural influence, and works inspired by the novel have been said to form their own genre. Sarah Graham assessed works influenced by The Catcher in the Rye" to include the novels "Less Than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews, "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath, "Ordinary People" by Judith Guest, and the film "Igby Goes Down" by Burr Steers.