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The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye. An introduction to the time period, author, J.D. Salinger, and the novel. Basic Facts. Publication Date: 1951 Author: J.(Jerome) D. (David) Salinger Legacy Within 2 weeks of its release, The Catcher in the Rye rocketed to number 1 on the NY Times bestseller list

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The Catcher in the Rye

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  1. The Catcher in the Rye An introduction to the time period, author, J.D. Salinger, and the novel

  2. Basic Facts • Publication Date: 1951 • Author: J.(Jerome) D. (David) Salinger • Legacy • Within 2 weeks of its release, The Catcher in the Rye rocketed to number 1 on the NY Times bestseller list • Since then it has been a common book for high schooler’s to read

  3. Why so controversial? • In 1960, school administrators at a high school in Tulsa, Okla., fired an English teacher for assigning the book to an 11th grade class. While the teacher later won his appeal, the book remained off the required reading list. • Another community in Columbus, Ohio, deemed the book "anti-white" and formed a delegation to have it banned from local schools. • One library banned it for violating codes on "excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult.“ • http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1842832_1842838_1845068,00.html#

  4. Salinger on the ban • When asked about the bans, Salinger once said, "Some of my best friends are children. In fact, all my best friends are children. It's almost unbearable for me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach."

  5. Salinger • Born Jan 1, 1919 in Manhattan • Lived in seclusion in the town of Cornish, NH for more than 50 years • Passed away in January, 2010 • In 1960s he was quiet but famous • Salinger has sued repeatedly to protect his privacy and his work • July 1, 2009 a Swedish author tried to use a 76-year old version of Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/j_d_salinger/index.html

  6. Salinger’s Privacy breached • In 1999 a woman who he had a romance with, Joyce Maynard, auctioned his letters to her (however, they were purchased by a man who returned them) • His daughter, Margaret, wrote a memoir Dream Catcher that reveal very intimate details about Salinger

  7. 1950’s The classic American family • Family roles were fairly traditional in Salinger’s day: • Dad was the sole provider and the head of the household • Mom was most often a homemaker – cooking, cleaning and taking care of her husband and kids

  8. And the kids? • Education was much less of a priority than it is today. • If the kids finished high school, college was a relatively rare option. • Getting a job and getting married straight out of high school were much more common. • How does this compare to your plans?

  9. What changed? • After World War II ended (1945), the old-school family structure and roles started to change a bit • Victorious war effort left the U.S. much more financially stable…people had money again! Woohoo! • And what do people do when they have money?

  10. Spend it! • In the late 1940s/early 50s, there were two consumer products that helped to create our modern concept of the teenager: • The television • The automobile

  11. Hmmmm… • So, how would an increase in TV and car purchases change American families? • And more specifically, how would these purchases impact teenagers? • (insert brainstorm here)

  12. The new teenager • So all in all, the 1950s saw the birth of “the modern teenagers,” as we think of them • Holden Caulfield, the narrator of The Catcher in the Rye, is arguably the first modern teenager of literature.

  13. Key questions as we read Catcher: • What are the pros, cons and responsibilities of each age group? • Why does Holden have such a difficult time fitting in? • What makes Holden so relatable as a narrator? • Similarities/differences between Holden’s issues and the issues of today’s teens? • What are Holden’s priorities? Why? • How does J.D. Salinger use symbolism to help develop his themes over the course of the novel?

  14. Links • Landmarks http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/Swiss-71685-catcher-rye-landmarks-power-point-education-ppt-powerpoint/

  15. Catcher Themes • Alienation • Phoniness • Loneliness • Difficulty of relationships • Purpose and effects of lying

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