Cassidy Mazelin

Mrs. Morris
AP English
17 March 2015
This Isnt Taught?
Schools in the United States choose what novels students should read based on the
novels literary merit. To say a novel has literary merit means absolutely nothing. This is because
literary merit can be defined in numerous ways. Though Wikipedia does not have consistent
credibility, it sums up why this is true quite nicely, saying that the idea is subjective and that
personal opinions determine literary value, so the term is unreliable. Literary merit should be
determined by three factors: relevance to the reader, emotional complexity, and realistic
characters. A novel that should be, but is not consistently taught in schools is J.D. Salingers
Franny and Zooey. The novel documents the lives of two of the Glass children after they were
made famous by their performances on a radio show called Its a Wise Child. Franny and
Zooey should be taught to high school seniors because it has complex characters that deal with
subject matter that is relevant to young adults.
The subject matter of the novel is relevant to high school seniors, and can be used to
guide them through college. Most people have a crisis at some point in their life that usually
begins as something small that irks the person. The same happens to Franny Glass when her
boyfriend of sorts, Lane Coutell, picks her up at the train station. Franny begins her emotional
breakdown while listening to Lane talk about a paper on Flaubert that he wrote for class. She
says to him, Youre talking like a section man (Salinger 14), then begins to rant about how the
English department at her college bashes writers, ruining them for people who do not know the

quality of the writers. After heading to the bathroom to calm herself, she attempts to eat, refuses,
then faints. After fainting she lays down on a couch and begins mouthing a prayer. Most crises
dont result in fainting, but the idea of complaining about something that isnt what it is expected
to be is a common factor between real life and fiction.
Another common factor that connects fact and fiction is an older person trying to
intervene and offer advice in hopes of the distraught person picking up and continuing on with
life. The novel picks up with Zooey, one of Frannys older brothers, sitting in the tub reading a
letter from their older brother, Buddy. In the letter, Buddy explains to Zooey why he along with
another brother, Seymour, taught Franny and Zooey about religion and a quest for zen. He
writes, . . . that education by any name would smell as sweet, and maybe much sweeter, if it
didnt begin with a quest for knowledge at all, but with a quest, as Zen would put it, for noknowledge (Salinger 65). Zooey uses this new knowledge from his brothers letter when he is
forced by their mother, Bessie, to talk to Franny and try to understand why she is sitting on the
couch at home crying when she should be attending classes. Zooey intervenes for Franny where
a parent, grandparent, or mentor would intervene in the high school or college students crisis.
Franny and Zooey are realistic characters because they show emotion and are trying to be
successful in life, making them relatable to high school seniors.
High school seniors are at a point in life where they are trying to determine what they want
to do and what they have to do to become successful. This often has a crisis involved because its
difficult to figure out the remainder of life in a short period of time. Franny is having the same
type of crisis. She does not know who she is nor what she wants to do and this causes her to
break down. This emotional breakdown is what makes her relatable. She screams at her brother
as he is lecturing, Will you shut up, please? (Salinger 166), but Zooey continues on until, He

stared over at Frannys prostrate, face-down position on the couch, and heard, probably for the
first time, the only partly stifled sounds of anguish coming from her (Salinger 171). Franny's
outbreak is similar to outbreaks that many modern people go through, proving that she is a
realistic character who has feelings. Zooey acting as the devil's advocate is his attempt to lead
Franny to make a realization, making him multifaceted as well. He fights having to talk to her,
knowing that she is in a fragile state, but does so anyway. He knows that she needs someone to
set her straight. Zooey also reflects high school seniors who are trying to give advice to people
who are younger, like sophomores, juniors, and freshmen in high school. Seniors try to impart
knowledge of classes, the best ways to study, where to eat, anything they can share so that those
next in line will have success as well.
All crises end with new knowledge that leads to a different outlook on life. Teens realize
that there is more to life than just school, that life is to be treasured for what it is. Franny's crisis
ends with her laying on a couch with a smile on her face. She has realized what she has to do and
why she has to do it. She has come to a realization and is ready to move on with her life. Zooey
succeeds in passing on his knowledge to his younger sibling, a goal that many people want to
achieve. Franny and Zooey is a novel worth reading and discussing in a high school senior
english class because of its content and characters. It meets all qualifications by which literary
merit should be defined. The fact that it is not taught in schools is a disservice to all high school
students. Education should have more that one use. It should be both school and practical
knowledge that can be applied in life. This novel provides an opportunity to teach both.
Works Cited
"Literary Merit." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Salinger, J. D. Franny and Zooey. Boston: Little, Brown, 1961. Print.