December 12 th , 2012

1. Independent Reading • Schedule • Anticipation Guide • “Salinger’s Writing Style” • Salinger Background December 12th, 2012 What is Holden’s favorite hat?

2. The Mystery Behind J.D. Salinger

3. Bio Info. • born January 1, 1919 died January 27, 2010 • best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye and his reclusive nature • has not published original work since 1965 and has not been interviewed since 1980 • From Manhattan, New York • He started his freshman year at New York University in 1936 (purported to have considered studying special education) but dropped out the following spring.

4. Success of Catcher • alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield was influential, especially among adolescent readers • novel remains widely read, selling about 250,000 copies a year

5. An Annecdote • After Germany's defeat, Salinger signed up for a six-month period of "de-Nazification" duty in Germany.[22] He met a woman named Sylvia, and they married in 1945.[23] He brought her to the United States, but the marriage fell apart after eight months and Sylvia returned to Germany.[23] In 1972, his daughter Margaret was with her father when he received a letter from Sylvia. He looked at the envelope, and without reading it, tore it apart. It was the first time he had heard from her since the breakup, but as Margaret put it, "when he was finished with a person, he was through with them."

6. More Background Info. • In June 1955, at the age of 36, Salinger married Claire Douglas • They had two children, Margaret (b. December 10, 1955) and Matt (b. February 13, 1960.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JD_Salinger

7. Homework • Themes, Symbols, and Bildungsroman • Vocab- Chapters 1 and 2 • Dead Poet’s Society December 13th, 2012 Who introduced “the talking cure”?

8. Themes: Review and Defining • Remind me: what is a theme? A universal idea; an idea everyone can relate to. • Themes in Catcher: Alienating Oneself as a Form of Protection, Loss of Innocence, Phoniness of the Adult World, Anger as a Shield Against Pain, and Confusion with Sexuality and Intimacy. Define each of them…see example.

9. Simple definition of Symbolism A symbol is an object or a word that stands for an abstract idea. What’s an abstract idea? Something that cannot be physically touched…examples?

10. Layers of Symbolic Meaning Cultural or generic: this relates to how a specific object has meaning in a particular culture or universally. Example: Red=love or flower=life. ***Culturally, symbols can mean different things: In Chinese culture, dogs represent devotion and faithfulness; in Islamic culture, they represent impurity. Personal: this relates to how a specific object has meaning to you or your family. Example: In your family a dog might equate to love because you had a very loving dog.

11. Layers of Symbolic Meaning Examples: American Literature Symbols • Literary: • These are the symbols we’re going to focus on. • Objects that are specific to particular pieces of literature, but usually associated with historical or cultural symbolic meanings.

12. Vocabulary for Chapters 1 and 2 Ostracized (verb): to exclude someone from a group or society. Qualms (noun): an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear; a misgiving. Create your own sentence for each.

13. Homework- discuss • Background • Vocab- Chapters 3 and 4 December 14th, 2012 What is Holden’s school?

14. Vocabulary for Chapters 3-4