JD Salinger Criticism

Salinger wrote his novel during an era of evolving gender roles in American society which is ultimately reflected in his writing. During the 1940s, women were expected to be obedient housewives who

Holden Caufield in the story Catcher in the Rye represents a growing discontent with 1950 America’s culture of conformity by not following the “norm”, or what he likes to call phony people. “The culture of conformity” a cultural shift in the 1950’s that caused people, young and old to stop trying to truly be themselves, instead they would start following group norms. The norm was basically you would have to do good in high school then grind away at college to excel there, then you would finish college and get a corporate job and climb the ladder to get to the top. Then you would get married, have kids, buy a house, and live then rest of your life. This was the “formula” most Americans would follow to lead to a “good life” and to become

  J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a remarkable book that gives readers a unique and perhaps gloomy perspective of the 1950's through Holden Caulfield, a cynical and peculiar teenager. Through The Catcher in the Rye Salinger describes important aspects of the 1950's. Salinger emphasizes several key characteristics of the 50's and criticizes them through Holden. In addition, Holden Caulfield is a very interesting character with several traits that put him at odds with society.

"Do not be mislead by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not part of that world" (Sai Baba). A world of illusion is an alluring, yet perilous place to enter. It can deceive the mind only to cause damage and distress. Holden Caulfield's life has led to. an atrophy through his struggle of conceiving illusions as reality. In J.D. Salinger's novel, "The Catcher in the Rye", Holden Caulfield battles the constant reminder of his brother, Allie's, death while he roams the streets of New York. Preceding his futile adventures, he is expelled from his fourth school, Pencey Prep. During his extent at

Salinger was born in New York in 1919 and wrote The Catcher in the Rye in 1951, and the values in the book reflected values in America at that time. A major value which society followed during that era

Regardless of the time, place, or culture, every generation has unique challenges they must face in order to adapt to the environment around them. While specific situations may vary, the internal conflicts and negative thoughts that one may address during their transition to adulthood are universal. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the story revolves around the difficulties of Holden Caulfield and his reactions as he navigates through New York City in the 1940s or 1950s. As the novel progresses, the author uses the personal struggles and uncertainty in the life of an adolescent boy to spread awareness about the dilemmas of humanity and the darker perspectives of the world. The consistent cynical outlook combined with the briefly

In the words of Louis L’Amour, “When a man is one of a kind, he will be lonely wherever he is.” I ask you this, wasn’t Holden Caulfield notorious for being lonesome? It was because he was such a uniquely complex character, people could never completely understand him. J.D Salinger created a persona that was entirely emblematic and unalike the majority. The novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger touches upon issues that adolescence commonly experience, which allows the novel to remain pertinent. Albeit, the protagonist’s extreme reactions to themes such as identity, dealing with mental health and growing up fail to perfectly capture the teenage voice or mentality. In the 1950’s teenagers had yet to be stereotyped as hormonal,

J.D Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye has been a hit on the shelves since its publication in 1951. It tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a lost adolescent who journeys to find his place in the

When J.D. Salinger went to war, he not only affected his own life, but also the life of Holden Caulfield. Similarities between Salinger and Caulfield are too numerous to write off as coincidence: both went to and flunked out of prep schools, and both had a penchant for language classes. Salinger’s life greatly impacted the plot and style of his works because Salinger used himself as inspiration for Holden, as demonstrated through “I’m Crazy”, “Slight Rebellion off Madison”, and The Catcher in the Rye.

In “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden doesn't fit the 1950s ideal because he views society as evil and phony,which is significant because he feels negative towards society and even though he tries to fit and understand, this only leads to him becoming depressed.

If there is one book that has been banned in more school libraries than any other, it’s The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.  First published in 1946, this novel has served as milestone for books that vividly describe the angst that comes from surviving the awkward years of teenage hood.   Throughout the novel , various values of society of then and now are displayed through the various characters in the text.   The values shown in the differ between the different archetype.

When one finds themselves in a reader’s position, they search for things in the novel that they can relate to. J. D. Salinger wrote a story that contained countless topics that people, past, present and future, can relate to in several ways. The novel follows the story of a troubled boy named Holden who leaves school due to his poor academic performance, an altercation with his roommate, and complications with his emotions due to the traumatic loss of his brother. He quickly understands how his narrow view of the world will lead him into trouble when he finds himself alone. The reader accompanies Holden through his stressful experiences

Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been pronounced a literary classic for its atypical portrayal of adolescence, to effectively convey the protagonist’s alienation and confusion. The introduction of The Catcher in the Rye is underpinned by disorder and confusion through a stream-of-consciousness narration, which digresses from one subject to another. Consequently, Holden’s multitudinous thoughts and feelings appear to lack a cohesive pattern. Additionally, Holden’s prevalent ascription of other students as “phony” (Salinger, p.3) alludes to his alienation and isolation as a form of self-protection; he rejects those he does not understand. Furthermore, the vocabulary encapsulates typical adolescence dialect of the 1940s, and resultantly, alienates contemporary reader. This is typified through Holden’s use of colloquial speech, in particular, his exclamation “that killed me” (Salinger, p.42) to express his amusement. Therefore, the introduction of Holden’s disjointed monologue in The Catcher in the Rye foreshadows Salinger’s unique interpretation of adolescence.

Salinger, J(erome) D(avid) (1919- ), American novelist and short story writer, known for his stories dealing with the intellectual and emotional struggles of adolescents who are alienated from the empty, materialistic world of their parents. Salinger's work is marked by a profound sense of craftsmanship, a keen ear for dialogue, and a deep awareness of the frustrations of life in America after World War II (1939-1945).

Considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, The Catcher in the Rye has affected readers around the globe since its publication in 1951. Its contemporary critics, however, gave the novel mixed reviews. Compared to the ideals of 1950s America, Holden Caulfield, the emotionally immature, extremely judgmental, teen-aged main character of “Catcher,” embodies the antithesis. Holden was an affront to the new social order, which demanded conformity and propagated the “father knows best” mentality. Americans, however, despite the postwar economic boom, remained suspicious of authority. In idyllic suburban neighborhoods across the country, while families huddled around their new television screens, people discussed their neighbors’ movements, made distrustful even of their closest friends by the “Red Scare”. The American Dream seemed like a golden ring just out of reach, leaving people feeling like they were going around in circles without a clear destination or purpose. With his sense of nostalgia for better times, his bleak perspective of the future, and his contradictory nature, Holden speaks directly to this sense of confusion at the world that Americans felt during the 1950s.