J.D. salinger
Born in 1919 to a prosperous Manhattan family, Jerome David Salinger grew up in a New York City milieu. Salinger's upbringing was not unlike that of Holden Caulfield, the Glass children, and many other characters used in his stories. "Being a diligent student was never his first priority: after he flunked out of several prep schools, including the prestigious McBurney school, his parents sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania from which he graduated in 1936"("J.D. Salinger", Novels 117). While attending a Columbia University writing course, Salinger had his first piece of short fiction published in Story, an influential periodical founded by his instructor, Whit Burnett. Salinger's short fiction soon began appearing in Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, and other magazines catering to popular reading tastes. Salinger entered military service in 1942 and served until the end of World War II, participating in the Normandy campaign and the liberation of France. He continued to write and publish while in the Army, often carrying a portable typewriter with him in the back of his jeep. After returning to the States, Salinger's career as a writer of serious fiction took off. He broke into the New Yorker in
Alienation and loneliness is the main theme that runs throughout the novel. The novel tells accounts of a deeply troubled teenager who has to wear a red hat as a security blanket. When he wears the hat he still does not fit in, but he ultimately does not want to. Throughout the novel Holden constantly struggles with his immerging sexuality. He is unable to get close to or even to like any of the girls he meets. Instead, he simply writes them off as sex objects. He also shows disgust when he encounters other male perverts or morons. "Confusion about his idenity is common for adolescents but for Holden it is terrifying"("J.D. Salinger", Novels 120). Holden was expelled from Pency for academic failure. After an unpleasant evening with his roommate Stradler, he decides to leave Pency for awhile and spend a few days in New York. Once in New York he begins to feel desperate and lonely because of the adult world which he was not yet ready for. Unable to see his sister Phoebe or his girlfriend Jane Gallaguer, Holden ultimately spends the evening with Sally Hayes. Increasingly lonely, Holden finally decides to sneak into his parents apartment so he can talk to Phoebe. He borrows some money from her, then goes to stay with his former English teacher Mr. Antolini. That night, at Mr. Antolini's house, he feels that Mr. Antolini is making a homosexual move towards him. Holden then leaves the apartment and spends the night at Grand Central Station. The next day, Holden experiences the worst day of his breakdown. He wanders the streets and looks for children. He tries to leave New York forever and hitchhike west, but when Phoebe insists on going with him he changes his mind. He instead decides to stay and watch out for her and protect her from the adult world. He then decides to take her to the park that always makes her feel happy. The novel ends with Holden refusing to talk, and reporting that he goes back to school the next year. Throughout the novel Holden continually sets himself up for failure and he is somehow able to be proud of it. He fails in every encounter relating to others with in the novel except for those with Phoebe. Holden uses failure as a way to attract attention to himself. He desperately desires attention from his parents because what he really wants is for them to accept him and love him for who he really is. Holden is deceitful and manipulative in most of his dealings with other people throughout the novel. Holden knows that he is a good liar and boasts of his power as a liar. Throughout the novel, another Holden is shown as one that feels sorry and wishes that he would not con as many people. "I thought it was "If a body catch a body," I said. "Anyway I keep picturing these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids and nobody's around- nobody big, I mean- except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff- I mean if they're going I have to come but from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know its crazy"( Salinger, The 157). This quote shows how caring Holden is and how much he truly wants to help others. It also shows a different side of him that is not revealed in the novel until he admits he is a failure. This portrays Holden not only as a failure, but also a deeply sensitive and compassionate person. The book is rich in symbolism. The author hints about the title twice before it is revealed. The first time, Holden hears a little boy in New York singing "If a body ca
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Approximate Word count = 2423
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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