AN INTRODUCTION TO  1919-2010  Served in WWII  Wrote several books about young people including Catcher and Franny and Zooey  Had not done an interview since 1980  Born in NYC to parents Sol and Miriam: father was Jewish, mother, Catholic  Recognized as one of the most popular and influential authors of American fiction during the second half of the twentieth century.  Had, by his own choice, remained out of the public eye for most of his life.

 Published in 1951  Over 65 million copies have been sold.  It is one of the most frequently challenged books in library history.  Named one of the best novels of the 20th century by Time Magazine.  Mark David Chapman (assassin of ) and John Hinckley Jr. (attempted assassin of President ) both had copies of the book in their pockets when they were arrested.

 Holden Caulfield = sketch of an American teenager  Nearly all readers identify with or see some of their friends reflected in different aspects of Holden’s character.  Young readers see in Holden Caulfield a little bit of what they are, while older readers see in Holden a bit of what they once were.  Ultimately, we all know that is some way, Holden is one of us.

 First-person limited- we see this story only through Holden’s eyes.  “You”- the psychoanalyst and the reader  Stream of Consciousness; many digressions  Dialect- Salinger perfected the dialect of the teenage boy  This language is the cause of much controversy over the book.  This creates a very believable character.

Watch for these themes during your reading of the novel. You will be expected to pull examples of each theme out of the novel.  Innocence/Loss of innocence  Lies and deceit (or phoniness)  Isolation as a form of protection  Pain and confusion of sexuality  Coping with sadness

You will be expected to explain these, so keep a close eye out for them as we read!  Holden’s hunting hat  Allie’s baseball glove  The ducks in Central Park  The Museum of Natural History  The Catcher in the Rye

These are NOT the only symbols throughout the book, so watch for others as well. This novel is a character study of Holden.  Analyze Holden’s motivations, his personality, and his mental stability.  What’s Holden’s deal? Is there something wrong with him (is he crazy?) or is he a just a normal teenager?

“I would far rather be ignorant than knowledgeable of evil.” -Aeschylus “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” --Sigmund Freud “Any relic of the dead is precious, if they were valued living.” --Emily Bronte “Action is character.” --F. Scott Fitzgerald “’I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not myself you see.’”

-Alice in Alice in Wonderland (It is possible to not be able to understand your own thoughts and emotions.)