J.D. Salinger, The Recluse
The 1950's were a time of conservatism , the traditional American family, and similarity. During this time of the cherished American dream, a radical writer, who spoke to a nation of young individuals and alienated adults, emerged. Jerome David Salinger, generally referred to as J. D. Salinger, surfaced as a spokesman for a generation of post-World War II students and became one of the most popular American fiction writers. Salinger is most widely known for his only novel, The Catcher in the Rye. He also published thirteen short stories between the years of 1948 and 1959 and this further increased his reputation as an author. Salinger wrote in a time where is was not better to be different. Despite this emphasis on similarity, Salinger wrote about unconventional themes and criticized American society. Although J. D. Salinger's works have always been surrounded by controversy, Salinger became one of the most popular and influential American writers to appear after World War II. Although little is known about him as a person, J.D. Salinger's work champions the defiance of adult phoniness and has impacted several generations since their publication. Salinger was born in New York City on New Years' Day in 1919. The son of a
Jewish father and Christian mother, Sol and Miriam, Salinger grew up in a Manhattan apartment. The younger of two children, Salinger enjoyed a close personal relationship with his older sister Doris. His early education consisted of a variety of private preparatory schools. Salinger earned average grades, but had immense trouble remaining in one school because, he did not fit in with the school environment. He was expelled from three preparatory schools, before finally graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy in 1936. This period of his life greatly influenced J. D. Salinger's views on society and schooling. His writings display the pain of his early teenage years. For example, in his most famous work, The Catcher in the Rye, Valley Forge served as a model for Salinger's fictional Pencey Preparatory school. Many of Salinger's works parallel and reflect many aspects of his own life. (Salinger 2). For example, Stanley Hyman, author of "J. D. Salinger's House of Glass" states: "I think that "The Catcher in the Rye is an intimate examination of basic human issues such as honesty, love, and religion, within Salinger's larger theme of alienation" (Lyner 96). The Catcher in the Rye is the story of a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield, and his coming-of-age. Holden is the son of wealthy parents who live near Central Park in New York. He narrates the story from a psychiatric institution near Hollywood. The story is of three days of Holden's life after he is expelled from Pencey Preparatory school because he failed four out of five of his classes. The novel begins with a flashback to the days before he is expected to be home for Christmas vacation. Salinger shows life at Pencey Preparatory from Holden's perspective. Holden leaves the school early and plans to spend time on his own in New York City. Though Holden does have friends at school and in New York, he is plagued with loneliness and alienation. short stories in 1953, and released a selection of his best works in Nine Stories. Following the release of Nine Stories, Salinger became very reclusive and published less. In 1961, he again published a work composed of a combination of previous short stories called Franny and Zooey. "Salinger, J(erome) D(avid)." Contemporary Authors. EDS. Barbara Harte and Carolyn Riley. Vols. 5-8. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Co. 1969. Vertical File.
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Approximate Word count = 2206
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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