Catcher in the Rye

A detailed Summary of Catcher in the Rye


In the pre-Beatlemania world of America's 1950's, JD Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, wasn't the most popular book on the shelf. In many communities it was (and in some cases still is) looked down on to the point of actually being banned. It wasn't until after Salinger's down fall, in the early 1960's, that Catcher in the Rye started to gain its current popularity. At this time, a new craze of "counter-culture" swept the nation, a craze where Holden Caulfield, the main character of the novel, became an idol for many adolescents struggling to find a new identity.

All this was because of Holden's rebellious behaviors. Flunking boarding school after boarding school, his foul-mouthed slang, his complete carefree openness when talking about sexuality - all these things where frowned upon at the time of the book's original release. Starting in the


There were many elements of the novel that represented the time of the 1950's well. Most of these elements didn't include Holden but were definitely still there. The atmosphere you get when reading this book, the surroundings you picture, are true to the times. The setting for a majority of the novel is a weekend in New York City. The hangout spots are nightclubs, movie theaters, Central Park, and plays and, of course, everybody smokes.

The setting of New York City let Salinger play around with the I Love Lucy fame fantasy. This is best depicted in the Lavender Room scene when Holden meets the three girls from out of town. All the three girls seem to care about is meeting movie stars and one of them even lies about having seen one to gain popularity with her two friends. And when Holden takes Sally on a date it was a classic choice of a movie or a p

Some common words found in the essay are:
Holden Caulfield, Love Lucy, Catcher Rye, Holden Caulfield's, Assuming Holden, York City, Central Park, , catcher rye, City Salinger, JD Salinger's, boarding school, york city,

Approximate Word count = 581
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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