The Story of J.D. Salinger

"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

The Catcher in the Rye was J.D. Salinger’s first step onto the literary playing field. This commencing status left Salinger, as a serious author, unique as a sort of liberated agent, not confine to one or more schools of critics, resembling many of his contemporaries were.

Many novels cannot be fully understood and appreciated if only read for face value, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. The abundant use of symbolism in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is of such significance that it “proclaims itself in the very title of the novel” (Trowbridge par. 1). If the symbolism in this novel is studied closely, there should be no astonishment in learning that The Catcher in the Rye took approximately ten years to write and was originally twice its present length. J.D. Salinger uses copious amounts

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a young, troubled individual. He tells us his story from the mental institution where he is currently residing. Holden is a 16 year old going through many different adolescent changes. He is expelled from his prep school for flunking too many subjects. He drinks, smokes, sees a prostitute, is punched by her pimp, goes on dates, spends a great deal of time in the park, and really does not do a great deal else. Holden is a very hard person to figure out and analyze. Throughout the whole book, Holden constantly changes his mind about things and has various conflicting thoughts. The experiences that Holden goes through illustrate the divide between adults and

Jerome David Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, is a work of fiction and a

Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger provides its readers with societal values of the 1950s time period by examining the actions of the main character, Holden Caulfield. Salinger possibly had written this classic novel in order to give an analytical view on the society of the 1950s. In an obscure matter, J.D. Salinger provides examples of society’s faults; in other words the reader must assess further about the main message of the novel, the hidden message(s). For instance, in one case, a library banned Catcher in the Rye because of moral issue concerns, excessive violence and anything dealing with the occult. Furthermore, the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger portrays a philosophical criticism of society by challenging its ethics, morals, and To begin, ethical values of society ignite an internal conflict

Word choice is a crucial element in a well-crafted story. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a 16-year-old in New York in the 1950's named Holden Caulfield. The book is about his exploration in the world as he suffers from severe mental trauma from his point of view. J.D. Salinger uses word choice for realism, theme, and depth of character to make the story relate to the reader and add dimension. The Catcher in Rye contains many distinct characters, and the dialogue and inner thought are crucial in the reader’s view of them. The word choice is one of the key components in displaying the character’s personality, and makes them into a round character.

In 1951, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was #1 on the New York Time’s bestseller list. Since then, the American Literary Association claims The Catcher in the Rye is a “favorite of censors.” The use of harsh language and profanity has been a long time debate of educators causing the novel to be pulled off bookshelves and propelling J.D. Salinger and his protagonist, Holden Caulfield, into reluctant fame. The translation of the book into many other languages speaks to the relevance of Holden’s teenage experience in many different nations and cultures. As J.D. Salinger takes the reader through Holden’s journey, it becomes obvious that Holden is

Jerome David Salinger, also known as J. D. Salinger, is a fascinating author best known for his novel, Catcher in the Rye. Although Salinger only published one novel, he wrote several short stories for magazines like The New Yorker and Story. A large number of these stories went on to be compiled into books such as Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Despite the fact Salinger has not published any stories in over 45 years, his reputation is still quite popular. Salinger's stories are studied in high schools and colleges, introducing thousands of individuals to his writing and ultimately increasing his fan base. Catcher in the Rye continues to sale 250,000 copies a year

20th Century American novelist and short story writer, J.D. Salinger, wrote many stories, most of which have been heavily influenced by his time spent in World War II. Arguably Salinger’s most popular novel, The Catcher in the Rye, was carried into battle with him and has distinct influences of Salinger’s experiences within it. Salinger was discharged from the army in 1945 (French xiv). and because of his experiences in the war, books like The Catcher in the Rye and many others have a much darker tone and plot than the stories written before his time in war. Before the war, Salinger mostly wrote short stories that lacked fighting sequences and any type of violence.

Jerome David Salinger’s only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is based on the life events shaping main character, Holden Caulfield, into the troubled teen that is telling the story in 1950. The theme of the story is one of emotional disconnection felt by the alienated teenagers of this time period. The quote, “ I didn’t know anyone there that was splendid and clear thinking and all” (Salinger 4) sets the tone that Holden cannot find a connection with anyone around him and that he is on a lonely endeavor in pursuit of identity, acceptance and legitimacy. The trials and failures that Holden faces on his journey to find himself in total shed light on Holden’s archenemy, himself.

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.

Phony is defined as a fake or an ingenuine person, this word was used most often by no other than Holden Caulfield, the most recognizable teenager in American literature. To truly understand who Holden Caulfield is, we must take a trip back in time to the 50s. The 1950s was a decade of prosperity and conformity, life in the 50s was simply peaceful. However, in the summer of 1951, J.D Salinger published a book entitled “The Catcher in the Rye”, the main protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield, described the 1950s as a disgusting and phony era. Holden himself is depicted as a teenager disillusioned by the adult world. Holden finds the hypocrisy of the adult world to be almost intolerable, with this mindset, he alienates himself from the society and he soon realized that he wants to become a “catcher in the rye”, which is to be a guardian of children, protecting them from the ugliness of adulthood and the process of maturity. The fuel that drove Holden to become who he is today was that of his childhood sibling loss, after the tragedy, Holden became desperate and infuriated. Almost 70 years later, Holden Caulfield still resonates in American culture, this leaves reviews questioning, why was the novel so meaningful and popular? Salinger’s universal idea of alienation and phoniness gave rise to the novel, never has anyone seen such a controversial book, but no one realized that Salinger’s message is pointed toward the faults of the American society.

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).

     J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time (Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his inner world to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the teachings of his education, and his own emerging sense of self. Throughout the years, the language of the story has startled readers. Salinger's control of Holden's easy,