People Never Notice Anything

Catcher In The Rye

I. About The AuthorA. J.D. Salinger – 1919 – 2010B. Drafted to WWII

1. Fought on D-Day2. Was among first soldiers to

enter a concentration camp3. Interrogated prisoners of war

C. Emotionally scarred by time in war; hospitalized for PTSD

D. Wrote numerous short stories, became famous for Catcher in the Rye (his only novel)

E. Became a Buddhist and escaped fame, not writing another book after 1960

“I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute

nobody.”

A Novel With A Tainted LegacyJohn Lennon Mark David Chapman

“Dear Holden

Caulfield, From Holden

Caulfield, This is my

statement”

Reportedly, before shooting Lennon, Chapman visited NY and tried to re-enact scenes from the novel.After shooting him, he sat near the scene of the crime and read the book until police arrested him.

II. Theme

A. Salinger reflects on the pain of growing up by presenting a protagonist disillusioned by the adult world.

1. All adults are “phonies.”2. Phoebe’s innocence is Holden’s inspiration

B. Holden longs to be a “catcher in the rye,” protecting children from doom

Like this?

“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.” (225).

Ironically, Holden gets this idea from a song called

“Comin’ Through The Rye” which is about sex – the

ultimate loss of innocence!

Listen To This!

III. Salinger’s narrative explores the themes of disillusionment and lost innocence

through use of symbolism.A. Red Hat = IndividualityB. “Catcher in the Rye” = desire to protect innocenceC. Ducks, Eskimos, “Secret Goldfish” = fear of growing oldD. Wound = emotional scars

And Numerous Others

IV. Major Influences on HoldenA. Phoebe

What does Phoebe represent for Holden?B. Allie

What effect does Allie’s fate have on Holden? C. Mr. Antolini

In one of the novel’s most controversial scenes, what does Mr. Antolini come to represent for Holden?

V. Elements of ModernismA. Holden is a modernist hero

1. Events of his life defeat him, lead to a breakdown2. He emerges having learned a lesson, more self-assured3. He is fiercely individualistic and rejects society

B. Language is simple, direct, conversationalC. Reader is left with unanswered questions about Holden

ConclusionHolden is sometimes overwhelmingly hopeful, at other times darkly pessimistic.

He wavers between irrational love and unrelenting abhorrence.

He doesn’t want to grow up and resents adults as “phonies” who don’t understand him.

What Does It Mean?

He is just like most American teenagers!