Similarities Between Huckleberry Finn And Catcher In The Rye

Examining the Styles of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye

Introduction

J.D. Salinger and Mark Twain are American novelists who write nearly a century apart. The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are both humorous and colloquial writings. I will explore their styles, identifying the techniques that made each novel popular, into the twenty first century.

Background: J.D. Salinger J.D. Salinger’s career wasn’t always focused on writing. He attended military school and dropped out of NYU prior to taking a writing course at Columbia University. The course “is taught by Whit Burnett, the editor of Story magazine. Burnett encourages the young writer’s career, and becomes a friend and mentor” (JD Salinger 2). In 1941, Salinger’s story “Slight Rebellion Off Madison” is published in The New Yorker, it is the first story to feature Holden Caulfield. In

‘You’re still bleeding, for Chrissake. You better put something on it.’

‘It’ll stop. Listen. Ya wanna play a little Canasta or don’tcha?’

‘Canasta, for Chrissake. Do you know what time it is, by any chance?’” (Salinger 61). The transition into the dialogue is very smooth, bringing the reader from descriptions of situations into their speech. Salinger skillfully uses dialogue to bring the characters to life.

Background: Mark Twain Samuel Clemens is known by many as the father of American literature. He is better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. He begins his career at a very young age, getting a job as an occasional writer and editor by age fifteen. After joining the Confederate army for a brief period of time, Twain has dreams of heading out west, and is highly disappointed when he ends up broke. Soon after, his work printed in several newspapers and magazines. By the age of thirty four, he is one of the most famous American authors.

Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry