What to Expect in The Catcher in the Rye A coming-of-age novel that is one of the most frequently taught books in schools, and one of the most frequently banned books in schools.

What should I expect? Holden Caulfield, the main character, narrates the book. The book takes place mainly in New York City, in the post-WWII era. He is an unreliable narrator –meaning we see all from his perspective, which isn’t necessarily the right perspective, or the way we would see things on our own. He whines, complains, and has very strong opinions, and he calls people “phonies”…a LOT. However, he is an adolescent with issues that we can all identify with. You may find him annoying, and you probably won’t agree with everything that he does, however, we are going to try to understand Holden as best we can.

Why is it so controversial? VULGARITY MENTAL ILLNESS PROSTITUTION SEXUALITY VIOLENCE DEATH HOMOPHOBIA CROSS-DRESSING UNDERAGE DRINKING COMPULSIVE LYING DEPRESSION FOUL LANGUAGE FIGHTING CHAIN SMOKING

The big picture… Most of these topics are not described explicitly, but they are mentioned in the context of the novel. The language is mature, but not anything you wouldn’t hear day-to-day in a typical high school hallway. We have to be aware that these issues are issues we must all deal with and be mature about. Some of Holden’s habits, like chain smoking, may seem a bit extreme, which they are– but consider that this was a different time period, and certain things were deemed more socially acceptable. Holden Caulfield has problems dealing with growing up and the “phoniness” of the adult world. He much prefers children to adults, because he appreciates their innocence and purity. The loss of innocence is a major topic in this novel.

The Essential Questions: The Search for Identity Is it inevitable that we conform to the world and society around us? Is it possible to grow up without becoming a phony? Can a person grow up and maintain his/her innocence?

Stream of Consciousness Writing What is it? Unstructured, unedited writing that reflects one’s observations or feelings about a certain person, event, or item. “Selective omniscience” The presentation of thoughts and impressions in a lifelike fashion—not in a sequence arranged by logic, but mingled randomly May sound rambling, disjointed, and may jump from subject to subject—but this allows us to feel as if we are in the character’s head, and we feel a personal connection.

Try it out yourself!!! For the next five minutes, write. Just write. Do not stop, and do not take your pencil off of the page. Write about whatever is going through your head—everything and anything. Grammar, spelling, and organization do not matter for this exercise. Think on paper!