1. The Catcher in the Rye and J.D. Salinger English 10 Background Information

2. A Little Bit About J.D. Salinger  Full Name is Jerome David Salinger  Grew up in Manhattan  Served in the U.S. Army during WWII, while writing Catcher  EXTREMELY PRIVATE person  Famous for his short stories and Catcher in the Rye

3. Salinger’s Questionable Habits  He had a thing for girls that were WAY too young for him  Had a relationship with an 18- year-old when he was 53  Had a relationship with Jean Miller, who was 14 when they met (he was 30)  His wife Claire was 16 when they first met (married at 20 and 36)  Dated Charlie Chaplin’s future wife for a while (Oona O’Neill); she left Salinger for Chaplin

4. Catcher in the Rye  Written in 1951  First person narrator  At first, the publisher he sent it to rejected it  Semi-autobiographical  One of the most banned books from schools in the country

5. The Controversy Around Catcher  1980: After Mark David Chapman assassinated John Lennons, he was found by police casually thumbing through a copy of The Catcher in the Rye. Chapman later claimed that the novel was his statement and that it provided the answer to why he’d killed the legendary Beatle.  1981: After John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, investigators reportedly discovered a copy of the book in his hotel room. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity.  1989: Robert John Bardo, who had been carrying the book, murdered Rebecca Schaeffer, an actress whom he had become obsessed with.  Swears a total of 210 times in the book!

6. Salinger’s Other Works...  Nine Stories  “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”  Franny and Zooey

7. Why No Movie?  Salinger claimed that the book was “unactable,” and refused to let anyone near it  When someone did try, he took them to court  Guarded the film rights heavily!  Salinger: "It is possible that one day the rights will be sold. There's an ever-looming possibility that I won't die rich. I toy very seriously with the idea of leaving the unsold rights to my wife and daughter as a kind of insurance policy."