THE CATCHER
IN THE RYE
J.D. SALINGER
J.D. Salinger
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1919-2010
Grew up in Manhattan
Much like his protagonist, he struggled with grades
Drafted for World War II and participated in the
Normandy Invasion
• Published The Catcher in the Rye in 1951
• Known for being a recluse (no interviews since 1980, not
seen in public since 1965, not photographed since 1950s)
• Other works: “Nine Stories” (1953), Franny and Zooey
(1961)
The Title
• The title comes from a
poem by Robert Burns
(1796)
• Holden overhears a
child singing this song,
and it makes him feel
momentarily less
depressed
• Holden associates the
poem with childhood
innocence, but the
song itself is about
sexuality
• Ironically (and
tragically), Holden
tries to preserve
innocence in a world
steeped in sexuality
The Catcher in the Rye
• Holden Caulfield famously misinterprets the lines of the poem to “if a
body catch a body,” which reveals great insight into his personality
and his view on responsibility. He wants to be the “catcher in the rye”
and preserve childhood innocence.
“I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to
be. I know it’s crazy.”
The protagonist
• Holden Caulfield
– 17 years old when the story begins
– 16 years old when the story takes place
– Narrative occurs over two days in December,
1949, about a week before Christmas
– Holden is kicked out of school (Pencey Prep) and
decides to spend two days in New York City by
himself before telling his family
The protagonist
• Holden Caulfield
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–
–
–
Antihero
Iconic symbol of teenage rebellion
Incredibly human
Flawed, but likable (not too unlike
Huckleberry Finn…)
– He just wants to be “caught” and to
“catch” others
Areas of focus
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Characterization
Diction
Author’s purpose
Postmodernism
Voice and style
Bildungsroman: genre which focuses on the
psychological and moral growth of the protagonist
from youth to adulthood
• Themes and relevance to today’s society
Controversy
The Catcher in the Rye is very controversial novel.
1. Along with Huck Finn, it is always one of the
top banned books in American high schools (yet
recently voted the second most often taught
book in American high schools)
2. Profanity
3. Themes of alienation
4. Holden is a compulsive liar - and he is so funny
doing it that lying appears glamorous
Controversy
5. Holden smokes “like a fiend” and drinks, often
using a fake ID
6. Holden hires a prostitute
7. Numerous sexual references
8. The aura of the book
- The Mark David Chapman connection…
• Mark David Chapman is the man who shot
and killed former Beatle, John Lennon.
• At the time of his arrest, he was found
clutching a copy of Salinger’s novel.
“Why does Salinger’s Catcher in
the Rye still resonate”?
Why people like it:
• Captures existential teen
angst
• Complex central character
• Accessible conversational
style
Why people don’t like it:
• Use of 1940’s New York
vernacular
• Self-obsessed central
character
• Too much whining
Expository Reading
• New York Times article “Get a Life,
Holden Caulfield”
– Do you agree with the author’s assertion? Why
or why not?
– What are your first impressions of the novel?