“The Catcher In The Rye”
J.D. Salinger was one of the most influential writers in American Literature. Even though he had not published many works of literature before his death, His works such as “The Catcher In The Rye”and “Franny And Zooey” had shaped the 20th century of literature. His life would forever be influenced by his upbringings being brought up in New York to later his traumatizing experiences faced on the battlefield of World War 2, which he had served in his adult years. Even though his books had experienced a lot of success, people still found his books being not only hard to read, but hard to relate to and stand all together. His writing style is a bit unorthodox, his word choice is a bit skewed, but J.D. Was aiming for the
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James Stern, a reviewer of the New York Times, had said “ Stern tried to imitate Holden by using short, incomplete sentences with undeveloped ideas: "That's the way it sounds to me, Hel said (a friend of the author), and away she went with this crazy book, The Catcher in the Rye. What did I tell ya, she said the next day. This Salinger, he's a short story guy. And he knows how to write about kids. This book, though, it's too long. Gets kinds of monotonous. They depress me”( James Stern ). All of this really is one hundred percent accurate, but that is how teenagers talk and type. They don't try to compose a sentence and structure it well enough to have it make sense, and along with that vulgar language is cool and short and sweet calls to the teenager. Adults really couldn't enjoy it because it was to childish. Along with these ideas of being too childish, Holden, who is the main character, really does have the same attitude to everything in the entire story. It never really changes and gets really old after the first few chapters and never changes until the end of the book where it made no difference what so
Salinger went through many of the experiences Holden went though. Salinger much like Holden had a sister that he loved very much, in the novel Phoebe is the only person that Holden speaks highly of; both men also spent time in a mental institution; Holden is telling the story from inside a institution; they were both kicked out of prep school and most importantly they were both a recluse from society. This is why Salinger uses Holden as his persona all though out the book. The ‘catcher in they Rye’ is almost like an autobiography for Salinger. He is using Holden as his persona to let us, the reader, dive into his thought pattern and find out some of the thoughts that he kept locked up in there.
After many years of ideas coming and going, one that seems to stay the same is the thoughts of tennagers. In the book The Catcher In The Rye written by J.D Salinger many can still relate to Holden’s story even after a 76 year difference. While exploring the city around him Holden takes the time to try to find himself on a deeper level and try to grasp how growing up really makes him feel. Given the fact that everyone is unique in among themselves the need for self satisfaction is always current meaning many run from the true responsibilities that come with age.
J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye explores the ambiguity of the adult world Holden must eventually learn to accept. Throughout the novel, Holden resists the society grownups represent, coloring his childlike dreams with innocence and naivety. He only wants to protect those he loves, but he cannot do it the way he desires. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he begins to understand certain aspects of truth. He writes:
At first glance, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye simply tells the story of Holden Caulfield, who is often characterized as annoying and whiny by the people around him. The anti-hero frequently speaks on impulse, making quick and often inaccurate observations of others. Holden’s immature and overly critical attitude turns off those he encounters, who are displeased with how callow he is. However, what these characters fail to understand is that there is actually a sort of sophistication behind Holden’s reasoning. In fact, throughout the novel, Holden disguises his maturity through outward displays of childishness.
All of these are components of J. D. Salinger’s writing style. While the tone of The Catcher in the Rye may suggest a lighthearted, entertainment centered novel, the work is, in actuality, a deep study of human emotion and sympathy, as well as a dark portrait of the wickedness in the world.
American Literature is widely known for possessing themes of disillusionment. Faulkner, Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway dominate this category of literature. However, the most influential piece of American Literature is arguably J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. What makes this piece of art stand so far out from any other work of literature is the attributes that make this novel so relatable. The source of this raw, real emotion that completely captivates the reader is Salinger himself. The Catcher in the Rye ‘s main character Holden Caulfield is undeniably Salinger. This work of fiction nearly resembles an autobiography. J.D. Salinger uses his novel to express his disillusionment through motifs, pathos, and symbols.
First off, he is a teenager, which is on average, most of the people who has read and is reading The Catcher in the Rye. Young teenagers can relate to Holden quite easily, mainly due to his speech and actions. Holden Caulfield is a young lad, who swears in just about every other sentence. An example of Holden 's usage of swear words would be, “It was a funny thing to say. It sounded like a real kid. You 'd think a prostitute and all would say "Like hell you are" or "Cut the crap" instead of "Like fun you are” (Salinger 51). Instead of speaking politely, Holden uses his own normal vocabulary, or instead, most of the teenagers ' vocabulary. It is so common to just walk into a high school and hear people use swear words left and right. Salinger’s purpose is to create a chain of connection between Holden and the reader, so that way, the reader can feel in place when reading the novel. Another way Holden connects with the reader is through his actions. Holden dropped out of high school, and occasionally got into fights. According to a quotation on page 5 of The Catcher in the Rye, it states, “Well. . . they 'll be pretty irritated about it," I said. "They really will. This is about the fourth school I 've gone to." I shook my head. I shake my head quite a lot. "Boy!" I said. I also say "Boy!" quite a lot” (Salinger). Now, before we all criticize Holden for
Jerome David Salinger is an odd character with a colorful background. He was a young man unable to complete college and obtain a degree, yet he was made very popular due to his writing abilities. “Despite his slim body of work and reclusive lifestyle, ‘Salinger’ was one of the more influential twentieth century American writers.” states Biography.com, “His landmark novel, Catcher in the Rye, set a new course for literature in post World War II America.”
J.D. Salinger recently pasted away at the age of 91. With his passing, several people speculate he left behind a treasure of completed novels and short stories involving their beloved characters. A person with a gift of writing that Salinger processed would not give up writing even though he stop publishing his stories. Salinger used writing as a way of expressing his ideas and feelings. Also he took his life experiences and inserted them into his stories making them entertaining for the readers but at at the same time provided a glimpse into what he experienced. Possibly with the discovery of new stories , Salinger's fans can get a greater understanding of his life because as he stated in a interview, “It's all in the books, all you have to do is read them.”
Stevick, Philip. "J(erome) D(avid) Salinger." American Short-Story Writers, 1910-1945: Second Series. Ed. Bobby Ellen Kimbel. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 102. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
Holden would often mention about how lonely and depressed he was, “It was against my principles and all, but I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think. That’s the whole trouble. When you’re feeling very depressed, you can’t even think.” (Salinger 91). This quote shows that because of Holden’s isolation, he becomes so depressed his morals bend and becomes more corrupted. Holden often repeats himself when he wants to emphasize something important. J.D Salinger’s tone sounds like a typical teenager using many slang and vulgar words such as, “chrissake” and “goddam.” Today, the lexicon Salinger used seems normal since the literary period was pre-modernism. However, when it was first published in the 1950’s it was offensive, caused a lot of controversy, and was even banned in several countries. The Catcher in the Rye was first banned after its publication for nontraditional or unpopular viewpoints, which many other classic writers faced such as William Shakespeare and Mark Twain. The book is known for being obscene and profane that teachers have been fired for allowing their students to read it. However, with Salinger’s coming-of-age-feel, it is still a popular book and is read in schools
Holden is a pessimistic, remote, and miserable character and he expresses this attitude through dialogue, tone, and diction. Throughout the book he has remained to be a liar, a failure, a loner, and lastly, a suicidal guy who feels like he has no purpose in life. Perhaps Salinger expressed his perceptions and emotions of his teen years in this book and it was a form of conveying his deep inner feelings of his childhood. Readers can see this clearly shown in The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger.
Many critics consider J.D. Salinger a very controversial writer, for the subject matters that he writes.. J.D. Salinger's works were generally written during two time periods. The first time period was during World War II, and the second time period was during the 1960's.
America during the 1940s and into the 1950s saw post-war prosperity, the introduction of household conveniences such the modern CPI and the washing machine, and an increase of enrollment into prep schools. Novelist J.D. Salinger uses his own experiences and the emotional impact they had as major influences on his work. Salinger’s life of solitude, military service in WWII and the childhood he spent as a prep school student is reflected directly through the actions and thoughts of Salinger’s most recognized character, Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye.
Josh Hutcherson (Holden Caulfield) He has had experience playing younger and older roles in movies.