Journal

1. Journal • What does it mean to be teenager in today’s society? • How do you think this may differ from teens in the past? • Think about what you can do now as a teen as compared to your parents or grandparents.

2. Teens in the 1950’s • Our main character, Holden Caulfield, in Catcher in the Rye is 16 years old. He is a teen in the 1950’s. • What do you think his life might be like? Do you know anything about life in the 1950’s? • Watch the video: • What are some specific things you noticed about the 1950’s? • How does the teen in this movie compare to your life as a teen?

3. Journal • Describe how you perceive yourself as a student. Are you a good student? Do you work hard? Is school relevant to you? • Where do you “fit in” at your school? What clubs do you belong to? Where do you feel most comfortable in your school?

4. J.D. Salinger • What was the most interesting or surprising thing you read? • TWO questions you have for him

5. Catcher in the Rye& the 1950s

6. The Catcher in the Rye Bringing you America’s most popular loner teenager since 1951

7. The Catcher in the Rye • Author: J.D. Salinger • Publication date: 1951, although Salinger was working on the novel for the last half of the 1940s, after he returned from his service in World War II. • Alienation is a major theme in this work, and most of Salinger’s other pieces. • Alienation also seemed to be a theme in his own life. • HOW??? What does the cover of the book make you think about??

8. Postmodernism/Contemporary • 1946-Present • What event might have led to a change in our literature? • Heavy reliance on techniques like fragmentation, paradox, questionable narrators, stream of consciousness writing (lots of writing to explore inner thoughts and inner consciousness), intertextuality (a story within a story) • New styles: found poems, concrete poems, confessional and performance poetry • New subjects being explored: • Media influences • Popular culture • Culture and gender and how it shapes the individual • People learning to cope with problems through communication • Notable postmodern texts/authors • Catch-22 by Joseph Heller • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson • Dave Eggers' "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius“ • Anything by Willaim Faulkner

9. Catcher and Connections to Past Literary Movements • Realism: use of real teen language, its use of social criticism where it is due, and its presentation of real problems which adolescents face in the process of achieving • Romanticism: its view of the innocence of childhood, its quest for truth, idealizing the past, and its emphasis on individual discovery and growth.

10. Genre • Bildungsroman Novel: (basically a German word that means generally the same thing as a “coming of age” novel, but has a few more specifics included.) • The story of a single individual's growth and development within the context of a defined social order. • The growth process, at its roots is a quest story, and has been described as both "an apprenticeship to life" and a "search for meaningful existence within society.“ • Normally about the early years of somebody's life, exploring the development of his or her character and personality • While reading look for examples of this in Catcher. We will come back to this idea later on!

11. Catcher in the Rye: #1 Banned Book in America • Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. • In 1981, it was both the most censored book and the second most taught book in public schools in the United States. • Banned because of: vulgar language, sexual references, blasphemy, undermining of family values and moral codes, Holden’s being a poor role model, encouragement of rebellion, and promotion of drinking, smoking, lying, and promiscuity. • Mark David Chapman, who assassinated John Lennon, was carrying the book when he was arrested. • John Hinckley, Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was also reported to have been obsessed with the book.

12. 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 • After WW II some women started to work more.

13. Money • After World War II ended (1945) the 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?

14. 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

15. 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)

16. TVs/Hollywood • Advertising split Americans into demographics (men, women, old, young, teen, etc.) • “Family time” changed • Different shows appealed to different ages • Attractive people – the pin-ups

17. Cars More accessible + more affordable Detract from family Sense of freedom Images of “cool” Emergence of fast food Possibilities for drinking + sex Same as today???

18. 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.

19. Essential questions as we read Catcher: • Is Holden mentally disturbed? Or just a typical teen? • Similarities/differences between Holden’s issues and the issues of today’s teens? • How can alienation affect a person's identity? • Is it inevitable (unavoidable) that we conform to the world and society around us? • What happens when a person does not accept and does not play by the rules of the dominant culture? • What does it mean to stay true to yourself?

20. Journal • Write about something you keep that is special to you. Describe the object to the best of your ability using as much detail as you can. You may also compose a sketch of the object. Explain why you keep this object and what it means to you.

21. Ch. 5 Review • Why is Holden unable to write the cmposition about a place and instead chooses to write about Allie’s mitt? • How is Allie’s mitt symbolic? • How is Allie’s death symbolic? • Why does Holden react so violently to Allie’s death? Do you sympathize with him? • Why does Holden choose to write the composition for Stradlaer? What does this say about Holden?