History+of+the+Novel

==History of Catcher in the Rye= == Catcher in the Rye was a revolutionary piece of literature that was introduced to the world in 1951. Catcher in the Rye was so significant because it challenged so many conservative values and broke so many conventions of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The novel brought a unique type of language that many people were not familiar with. A few years after the book's publication, the assassin that killed John Lennon was found with a copy of this novel in his pocket; the novel is thought to be the incentive for the killing of John Lennon. =The story's impact on people today is still seen; many young people who feel deprived from society relate to Holden Caufield, because he recognizes the negative parts of society and desires to protect the innocent from them. Here is a review of the book from 1951: //(**Source**: http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/assignments/catcher/NYTimes_1951.pdf)// July 16, 1951 Books of The Times By NASH K. BURGER It is just before Christmas and 16-year-old Holden Caulfield has been kicked out of exclusive Pencey Prep, a boys' school in Pennsylvania. Considering everything, this reflects more credit on Holden than on Pencey. Life at Pencey is dreary, regimented, artificial and, of course, expensive. This happens, however, to be only the latest of a series of schools from which Holden has been expelled. Understandably he is in no hurry to encounter his parents, but he is also reluctant to linger a moment longer than necessary at Pencey. He therefore takes what money he has and departs for New York, where he passes several days in a weird jumble of adventures and experiences, is involved with a variety of persons including taxi drivers, two nuns, an elevator man, three girls from Seattle, a prostitute, and a former teacher from whom Holden thinks it best to flee in the middle of the night and most of all from himself. Holden's story is told in Holden's own strange, wonderful language by J. D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel, "The Catcher in the Rye." The Book-of-the-Month Club has chosen it as its current selection. Adolescence Speaking for Itself Holden is bewildered, lonely, ludicrous and pitiful. His troubles, his failings are not of his own making but of a world that is out of joint. There is nothing wrong with him that a little understanding and affection, preferably from his parents, couldn't have set right. Though confused and unsure of himself, like most 16-year-olds, he is observant and perceptive and filled with a certain wisdom. His minor delinquencies seem minor indeed when contrasted with adult delinquencies with which he is confronted. Mr. Salinger, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and elsewhere, tells a story well, in this case under the special difficulties of casting it in the form of Holden's first- person narrative. This was a perilous undertaking, but one that has been successfully achieved. Mr. Salinger's rendering of teen-age speech is

wonderful: the unconscious humor, the repetitions, the slang and profanity, the emphasis, all are just right. Holden's mercurial changes of mood, his stubborn refusal to admit his own sensitiveness and emotions, his cheerful disregard of what is sometimes known as reality are typically and heart breakingly adolescent. The author evidently takes a dim view of prep-school life, and few writers have presented it with more effortless devastation. Holden's reminiscences and observations are short and to the point. "Pencey," he tells us, "was full of crooks. Quite a few guys came from these very wealthy families, but it was full of crooks anyway. The more expensive a school is, the more crooks it has. I'm not kidding." Holden is sometimes, but not for long, a little bitter, and it may be he has a tendency to generalize from too little evidence (in this case his camel's-hair coat had been stolen out of his room), but he has seen and done a lot for a 16-year-old, and a lot has been done to him. Mr. Salinger gives us a peek at Pencey's headmaster, who knows just which parents to talk with, which to ignore, gives a glimpse, too, of alumni and assorted students. Then there is a fine chapter in which Holden calls to say good-by to an ancient teacher, an unlovable Mr. Chips without wisdom or imagination. Poignant Reflections of Youth In New York Holden's nightmarish efforts to escape from himself by liquor, sex, night clubs, movies, sociability--anything and everything--are fruitless. Misadventure piles on misadventure, but he bears it all with a grim cheerfulness and stubborn courage. He is finally saved as a result of his meeting with his little sister Phoebe, like Holden a wonderful creation. She is the single person who supplies and just in time-- the affection that Holden needs. Certainly you'll look a long time before you'll meet another youngster like Holden Caulfield, as likable and, in spite of his failings, as sound. And though he's still not out of the woods entirely, there at the end, still we think he's going to turn out all right. We wouldn't even be surprised if he grew up to write a few books (he talks about books quite a lot), books like "Of Human Bondage," "Look Homeward, Angel," or "The Catcher in the Rye"--nothing so childish and innocent as "Seventeen," though. A pretty good small volume of Holden's observations could be put together right now out of Mr. Salinger's book; call it "The Maxims and Moral Reflections of Holden Caulfield," say. Thus, On the Movies: "I can understand somebody going to the movies because there's nothing else to do, but when somebody really to go, then it depresses the hell out of me." On Life Is a Game: "If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it's a game, all right. But if you get on the side, where there aren't any hot-shots, then what's a game about it? Nothing. No game." On Teachers: "You don't have to think too hard when you talk to a teacher." On War: "I don't think I could stand it if I had to go to war. It wouldn't be so bad if they'd just take you out and shoot you, but you have to stay in the so long."

Catcher in the Rye attracted many different groups of people, from young adults to elderly people. This story was especially popular among the younger crowds, which composed mostly of teenagers. The teenagers had many different reactions to the story when it was first published. Some teenagers thought that the novel was vulgar, immature, and immoral, while others thought that the story had nobler intentions. Many adults wanted to ban this book from schools because they thought that the story may have been corrupting to the youths' minds. Although Catcher in the Rye quickly became #1 on New York Times best-seller list, it is also one of the most banned books from public schools. For example, in 1960, school administrators at a high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma fired an English teacher for assigning the book to an 11th grade English class. Another community in Columbus, Ohio deemed the book anti-white, and formed a delegation to have it banned from local schools. In another instance, a library banned the story for violating codes on excess vulgar language, sexual scenes, things concerning moral issues, excessive violence, and anything dealing with the occult.

In the following website, there are a variety of web letters directed at J.D. Salinger []

There are over 100 pages of different letters directed at J.D. Salinger on the website; here is one of the many letters that I found: Dear J. D. Salinger,

Catcher in the Rye conflicted my emotions throughout the whole book.

Reading Catcher had allowed me to think about the things and people closest to me, and taught me that I shouldn't take what I have for granted.

Your style of writing present in Catcher was very different to the books that I usually read as a High School student.

It was down to earth, emotional, and very sincere and honest (not in the nicest way of course).

But I believe reading the book, we could see the world, in the pessimistic, yet mature eyes of Holden Caulfield. emerald.melancholy@gmail.com Eric P

Sources: http://www.google.com http://www.tmtm.com/sides/catcher.html http://www.levity.com/corduroy/salinger1.htm