The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel because of its complexity and characters that reveal certain facets of the antagonist Holden Caulfield’s character. Students should read this novel for an example of a seemingly simple book with many examples of symbolism throughout the novel. Also, The Catcher in the Rye is set in post-WW II America, a very important time in America’s history because of its vast economic growth and advances. This book should be read by high school students, as it does have some mature topics and language. Holden met many interesting characters on his journey through New York City to get home. When Holden took the train to get to New York City, he met Mrs. Morrow, Ernest Morrow’s mother. He knew Ernest from one of
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It isn’t clear exactly where Holden is narrating the story from, but the reader can assume he is in some kind of mental hospital after Holden saying he was interviewed by a psychoanalyst. The novel starts out at Pencey Prep, where Holden is flunking out of four of the five classes he is taking. Holden was told by the headmaster Dr. Thurmer that he was being expelled for his less than stellar performance at the school. Holden goes to his history teacher Mr. Spencer’s house to say goodbye. Mr. Spencer told Holden to be careful about the decisions he made about his future, as someday he will be concerned about them. But, Holden doesn’t take this advice to heart and is just somewhat annoyed by it. Later, in his dorm room, Holden finds out that his roommate, Stradlater, is going out on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl Holden used to date and still has some feelings for. As the evening goes on, Holden gets more and more anxious about what Stradlater was doing with Jane. When Stradlater returns, Holden quizzes him on what they did exactly on their date. Stradlater teases Holden, and things escalate quickly. Worse comes to worse, and pretty soon the boys get in a full fledged fight, leaving Holden with a bloody nose. After a short talk with Ackley, a very unhygienic boy who also goes to Pencey, Holden decides that he’s done …show more content…
D. Salinger is part of the pantheon of important authors because of his many well-known works. J. D. Salinger was born Jerome David Salinger on January 1, 1919 in New York, NY. He was raised in Manhattan and was the second of two children of Sol and Miriam Salinger. His father was a prosperous Jewish merchant and his mother was Scots-Irish. Like Holden, he was expelled from several private preparatory schools before going to Valley Forge Military School and graduated two years later. However, there is little known about Salinger’s upbringing other than he grew up in a wealthy family. Some of Salinger’s works other than The Catcher in the Rye include Nine Stories (1953), Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963), and Franny and Zooey (1961). He started out writing short stories in magazines, including Slight Rebellion Off Madison in 1946 for the New Yorker magazine. It was later rewritten and made part of The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Salinger later became one of the top contributors to New Yorker. When The Catcher in the Rye was first released, it created much controversy. The novel was highly praised by many and strongly disliked by others for its language and social criticism. After releasing The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger grew reclusive and is still known today for his reclusive behavior. He began to publish new work less frequently and gave his last public interview in 1980 to avoid public attention. Margaret A. Salinger, Salinger’s
It isn’t clear exactly where Holden is narrating the story from, but the reader can assume he is in some kind of mental hospital after Holden saying he was interviewed by a psychoanalyst. The novel starts out at Pencey Prep, where Holden is flunking out of four of the five classes he is taking. Holden was told by the headmaster Dr. Thurmer that he was being expelled for his less than stellar performance at the school. Holden goes to his history teacher Mr. Spencer’s house to say goodbye. Mr. Spencer told Holden to be careful about the decisions he made about his future, as someday he will be concerned about them. But, Holden doesn’t take this advice to heart and is just somewhat annoyed by it. Later, in his dorm room, Holden finds out that his roommate, Stradlater, is going out on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl Holden used to date and still has some feelings for. As the evening goes on, Holden gets more and more anxious about what Stradlater was doing with Jane. When Stradlater returns, Holden quizzes him on what they did exactly on their date. Stradlater teases Holden, and things escalate quickly. Worse comes to worse, and pretty soon the boys get in a full fledged fight, leaving Holden with a bloody nose. After a short talk with Ackley, a very unhygienic boy who also goes to Pencey, Holden decides that he’s done …show more content…
D. Salinger is part of the pantheon of important authors because of his many well-known works. J. D. Salinger was born Jerome David Salinger on January 1, 1919 in New York, NY. He was raised in Manhattan and was the second of two children of Sol and Miriam Salinger. His father was a prosperous Jewish merchant and his mother was Scots-Irish. Like Holden, he was expelled from several private preparatory schools before going to Valley Forge Military School and graduated two years later. However, there is little known about Salinger’s upbringing other than he grew up in a wealthy family. Some of Salinger’s works other than The Catcher in the Rye include Nine Stories (1953), Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963), and Franny and Zooey (1961). He started out writing short stories in magazines, including Slight Rebellion Off Madison in 1946 for the New Yorker magazine. It was later rewritten and made part of The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Salinger later became one of the top contributors to New Yorker. When The Catcher in the Rye was first released, it created much controversy. The novel was highly praised by many and strongly disliked by others for its language and social criticism. After releasing The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger grew reclusive and is still known today for his reclusive behavior. He began to publish new work less frequently and gave his last public interview in 1980 to avoid public attention. Margaret A. Salinger, Salinger’s