If you were to witness something corrupt, what would you do? Would you try to stop him? Or would you just look the other way and pretend it wasn't there? In today's society, corruption is almost everywhere and, too often, people simply look the other way, allowing it to continue. By writing The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger attempts to show people the evils of a corrupt society and how it can harm anyone. It does this through Holden's experiences in Pencey and New York, as well as the uncertainty and confusion Holden feels about sex. While at Pencey, Holden experiences corruption many times. This may be one of the reasons why he doesn't try in his lessons. At one point, he joins a secret fraternity, not because he wants to, but because he is "too yellow not to" (167). Ackley tries to join in too, but again and again, "they [don't] let him…just because he's boring and pimply" (167). This disgusts Holden, because the other students mistreat Ackley because of his appearance and behaviors, something Holden sees as corruption. Another occasion in which Holden observes corruption is when the elder Ossenburger, a wealthy businessman who once attended Pencey and who donated money to the school, visits for the first football game. After the game, Ossenburger gives a speech in which he essentially describes himself as a saint, telling the students that he "[talks] to Jesus all the time" (17). However, he drives a “big damn Cadillac” (16), and when he arrived, all the students had to “get up in the stands and give him [applause]” (16). This is corrupt, because if he really was a saint like he lets on, he would be more modest instead of boasting about how good he is and flaunting his wealth. Holden sees corruption in at least one of... half the newspaper... telling them sex stories shows how corrupt he is. It corrupts kids by telling them that promiscuity is okay and warps their minds. And it does so when it should be helping kids make good choices. All of these things that Holden experiences are used by Salinger to show that in real life, even though corruption may seem rare, it is actually commonplace and can hurt. people. This is why if you experience corruption in your life, such as underage drinking, people behaving differently towards someone than they normally do, or someone corrupting children, then you need to try to stop corrupt actions before they hurt anyone. If society as a whole realizes the evils of corruption and makes efforts to prevent it, the world will become a better place. Works Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.