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An Introduction to
The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger
Mrs. Milton
English 521
About the Author • 1919 – 2010
• Born in NYC to Jewish father and a Catholic mother • Served in WWII (D-Day Invasion)
• Recognized as one of the most popular and
influential authors of American fiction during the twentieth century.
• Has, by his own choice, remained out of the public eye for most of his life.
International Acclaim
• Published in 1951
• Has sold over 65 million copies world wide! Continues to sell over 250,000 copies a year in
the U.S. alone
• Named one of the best novels of the 20th century by Time Magazine.
• One of the most frequently challenged books in library history because…[video clip]
Controversy & Criticism
• Many parents objected to the main character's
obscene language, erratic behavior, and antisocial
attitudes. There are also several “seedy” scenes.
• Responding to the irate protests, numerous school
and public libraries and bookstores removed the book
from their shelves.
• Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, simply was not a
good role model for the youth of the 1950s, in the
view of many conservative adults.
Assassination “Trigger"?
John Lennon's Assassination
Assassinations Linked to Catcher in the Rye
Overview • Although The Catcher in the Rye caused considerable
controversy when it was first published in 1951, the
book—the account of three disoriented days in the life of
a troubled sixteen-year-old boy
—was an instant hit.
“It remained immensely popular, especially
among teenagers and young adults, largely
because of its fresh, brash style and anti-
establishment attitudes—typical attributes of
many people emerging from the physical and
psychological turmoil of adolescence.”
• Tells the story of a teenager expelled from his high school and his journey across NYC in the 1950’s. • Issues discussed in the book include: school, teachers, music, sex, alcohol, hypocrisy, family, and being a teenager.
• Holden is looking for THREE things: ▫ The Innocence of Childhood Wants things to remain the same as when he was
younger
▫ Love vs. Sex Trying to figure out if there can be one without the
other
▫ Identity What do I do with my life? What does this all mean? How do I live up to expectations and still be an
individual?
Why so Popular?
• Holden Caulfield = sketch of a typical teenager, searching for one’s identity, and critical of the artificiality and materialistic culture of society.
• Nearly all readers identify with or see some of their friends reflected in different aspects of Holden’s character.
• Young readers see in Holden Caulfield a little bit of what they are, while older readers see in Holden a bit of what they once were.
• Ultimately, we all know that in some way, Holden is one of us.
Setting & Historical Context
• The events in The Catcher in the Rye take place in 1946, only a year after the end of World War II.
• Adults at this time had survived the Great Depression and the multiple horrors of the war.
• Paradoxically, the war that wounded and killed so many people was the same instrument that launched the nation into an era of seemingly unbounded prosperity.
• Adults valued materialism and extreme conservatism
• Traditional values were the norm
• People did not want to hear from the Holden Caulfields
and J. D. Salingers of the era
• They were in a state of blissful denial
• Holden has withdrawn from this society enough to see the
world from a different perspective.
• He hates the hypocrisy he sees in the adult world and is
therefore reluctant to participate in it.
• His behavior, while that of an adolescent trying to affirm his
own identity, also symbolizes the perceived shallowness of
people and society.
• Most of the things Holden fears peak in the 1950s, when
conservatism, rigid morality, and paranoid self-righteousness
held the nation in a tight grip.
• Small wonder that 1950s parents assailed Salinger's novel
when it hit book stores and libraries in 1951!
• Teenagers became more rebellious, a trend that their parents viewed to be strongly influenced by a new, decadent form of music called rock 'n' roll.
• Juvenile delinquency became an alarming problem and
was considered a major social issue. • Teens were skipping classes and committing crimes, and parents were alarmed by their children's lack of respect for authority.
Structure & Style
• Salinger utilizes a FRAME STORY structure. The outside frame is Holden’s talking to a psyshoanalyst; the inside frame is Holden’s own narrative, with flashbacks of the events, the “madman” stuff that has led to his arrival at a psychiatric ward in California.
• First-person narrative; autobiographical
• Psychological reflection in that the events narrated are accompanied by Holden’s thoughts.
• Coming-of-Age Novel: A novel that traces one’s
emotional maturation from child to adult. A loss of
innocence is essential if a child is to become an adult.
This process is painful, but inevitable.
• Picaresque Novel: A book dealing with the adventures of
a wanderer.
• Quest Narrative: Narrator seeks to discover truths,
values, and ultimately himself and his place in this world.
Genre
Themes & Values
• Phonies/Societal Pressures
▫ “phony” implies “snobbery” and “fakeness”
▫ Holden hates phonies
• Adolescence/ Loss of Innocence
▫ Holden is at the in-between stage of life, in between a child and an adult
▫ Holden wants to be accepted by children and adults; however, he doesn’t fit into either category
• The need for inner direction and commitment to action. • A sensitive awareness of life’s compensation: a necessary
balance of sympathy and rejection, joy and sorrow. • The recognition of superficial standards of behavior; the
challenge of seeking positive change in one’s moral environment.
• The ability to feel compassion and to expect justice for all. • The therapeutic worth of honesty in communication with
others; the treatment of every person as an individual. • The learning of universal love and empathy in one’s individual
struggle against hypocrisy and worldly corruption.
Important “Symbols”
• The Catcher’s Mitt
• The Red Hunting Hat
• The Ducks in Central Park Pond
• The Museum of Natural History
• The Merry-Go-Round