The Catcher in the Rye

Facts Published in 1951 Published first as several short stories Originally published for adults "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book... [I]t was a great relief telling people about it“ (J. D. Salinger). Approximately 250,000 books are sold each year.

J. D. Salinger ( ) From a Jewish family of Lithuanian descent Raised in Manhattan and began writing short stories in high school A mediocre student who dropped out of college Served in World War II Published his last work in 1965 and gave his last interview in 1980.

Writing Style First-person narrative Subjective: Everything is related by and seen through Holden’s point of view, following his exact thought processes. Teenage colloquial speech

"Old" - term of familiarity or endearment. "Phony" – superficially acting a certain way only to change what others think of you "That killed me" – I found that hilarious or astonishing "Flit" – homosexual "Crumbum" or "crumby"– inadequate, insufficient, and/or disappointing "Snowing" – sweet-talking "I got a bang out of that" – I found it hilarious or exciting "Shoot the bull" – have a conversation containing false elements "Give her the time" – sexual intercourse "Chew the fat" or "chew the rag" – small-talk "Rubbering" or "rubbernecks" - idle onlooking/onlookers

Setting Time: 1948/1949 Place – Pencey Preparatory School – New York City

Characters Holden Caulfield: narrator, protagonist, an intelligent, sensitive, cynical sixteen-year-old boy who hates the “phoniness” he sees in the world but also feels insecure about himself D. B. Caulfield: Holden’s older brother who works in Hollywood as a screenwriter. Holden admired his short stories but hates that he works for Hollywood “phonies.”

Allie Caulfield: Holden’s younger brother who died of leukemia three years before the novel begins. Holden has been greatly affected by his death. Phoebe Caulfield: Holden’s ten-year-old sister, whom he loves dearly because she listens to what he says and understands him more than most other people do. She is very intelligent and mature, critiquing Holden for his behavior.

Themes Alienation as a form of self-protection: Holden’s feeling of loneliness can be seen as exclusion and victimization by the world around him or as a way to protect himself or prove that he is better than all the “phonies” around him. Alienation is both the source of Holden’s strength and the source of his problems.

The painfulness of growing up: Holden fears change and is overwhelmed by complexity. He sees the adult world as full of hypocrisy and superficiality and childhood as full of innocence, kindness, spontaneity, and generosity.

EXISTENTIALISM

Bildungsroman Coming-of-age story: focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, in which character change is extremely important – An emotional loss causes the protagonist to leave on a journey. – The protagonist achieves maturity slowly and with difficulty. – The main conflict is between the protagonist and society. – The protagonist gradually accepts the values of society, and he or she is accepted by society.

Examples Jane Eyre David Copperfield The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Gone with the Wind The Catcher in the Rye To Kill a Mockingbird The Outsiders Ender’s Game Harry Potter The Perks of Being a Wallflower The Kite Runner

Praise for The Catcher in the Rye “An unusually brilliant novel” (Nash K. Burger) A “marvelous book” (George H. W. Bush) “The defining work on what it is like to be a teenager. Holden is at various times disaffected, disgruntled, alienated, isolated, directionless, and sarcastic….[It] captures existential teenage angst" and has a "complex central character" and "accessible conversational style" (Finlo Rohrer).

One of the "three perfect books" in American literature, along with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby. “No book has ever captured a city better than Catcher in the Rye captured New York in the fifties“ (Adam Gopnik). Holden is a “teenage protagonist frozen midcentury but destined to be discovered by those of a similar age in every generation to come” (Jeff Pruchnic).

Censorship 1960: A teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was fired for assigning the novel in class, but he was later reinstated : The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. 1978: The book was banned in the Issaquah, Washington, high schools as being part of an "overall communist plot". 1981: It was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States : According to the American Library Association, The Catcher in the Rye was the tenth most frequently challenged book. 2005, 2009: It was one of the ten most challenged books.

Why? Vulgar language Sexual references Blasphemy Undermining of family values and moral codes Encouragement of rebellion Promotion of drinking, smoking, lying, and promiscuity Several shootings have been “inspired” by the novel.

Questions Is The Catcher in the Rye a true Bildungsroman? In other words, does Holden change or learn a lesson by the end of the novel?