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The Catcher in the Rye: A Controversial Classic by J.D. Salinger

Explore the life and work of J.D. Salinger, the influential author behind "The Catcher in the Rye." Discover the enduring love for this controversial novel, its central themes, and the mysteries surrounding Salinger's posthumous works.

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The Catcher in the Rye: A Controversial Classic by J.D. Salinger

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  1. The Catcher in the Rye A Controversial Classic

  2. J.D. Salinger • Born January 1, 1919 in NYC • Full name Jerome David Salinger • Wealthy Jewish family • Failed McBurney School; transferred to Valley Forge Military Academy • Attended NYU for one year • Traveled to Europe, stayed in Vienna for a few months • Returned home; took night classes at Columbia • Professor Whit Burnett encouraged J.D. to publish some of his writing • Short stories were published in Collier’s and Saturday Evening Post

  3. J.D. Salinger

  4. Influence of WWII • Drafted into the army; served from 1942-44 • Landed at Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge • Hospitalized for nervous breakdown • Began working on TheCatcher in the Rye

  5. Post War Writing • Returned to NYC in 1946 • Shorter work published in The New Yorker • 1951-The Catcher in the Rye • First and only published novel • Became very famous • Previously published short stories were combined into collections and published in 1960s • Last new published piece was June 1965 • “Hapworth 16, 1924” in The New Yorker

  6. Sold over 120 million copies to date

  7. Post War Life • Married three times • 1945- Sylvia Welter • 1955- Claire Douglas • 2 Kids- Margaret and Matthew • 1988- Colleen O’Neill • Moved to New Hampshire in 1953 • Led reclusive life • Avoided public contact • Died in 2010

  8. People interested by and joked about his isolation from society

  9. Hints and clues emerging • Daughter recently published memoir • Did not paint the most positive picture of her father

  10. Posthumous Work? • It is believed that Salinger continued to write novels while he lived in New Hampshire, but chose not to publish them • After his death people began to speculate whether these would be released • 2015 is the estimated date of publication

  11. Enduring Love • Why is The Catcher in the Rye so popular? • Coming of age novel • Many people identify with Holden’s struggles as a teenager • Unique writing style (for the time) • Stream of consciousness • Unstructured, unedited writing that reflects one’s observations or feelings • Might feel disjointed or “all over the place” • Feel like we are in the character’s head

  12. Enduring Controversy • Controversial things in the novel: • Vulgar language • Drinking • Smoking • Sex • Depression • Death • Lies • Violence

  13. Central Questions • What is the individual’s relationship to society? Do we have to conform to society? • What does it mean to grow up? Is it possible to grow up without becoming fake? • How do we deal with trauma or loss? • What is Holden searching for? What do we search for in life? • Is Holden a likeable character?

  14. Why is there no movie? • Salinger refused to sell the rights for the novel • Many famous directors, actors, producers etc. have tried to obtain the rights but failed

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