About the Author
Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919, in New York City, the second child of Sol and Miriam Jillich Salinger. His father, of […]
The Catcher in the Rye
Setting
The plot of this novel, set soon after the end of World War II, is relatively spare. Holden Caulfield has been expelled from a private […]
Themes and Characters
As he roams about the city, Holden encounters his brother’s old friends, calls strangers to whom friends have referred him, mixes in a hotel bar, […]
Literary Qualities
If The Catcher in the Rye merely detailed the awkwardness of a young adult growing up, it would still be valuable. But Holden’s periodic allusions […]
Social Sensitivity
The Catcher in the Rye has been charged with three major failings: excessive and unrealistic use of foul language; its obsession with a character whose […]
Topics for Discussion
1. Holden constantly uses the word “phony” to describe people, events, and popular culture such as movies. What does he mean by this word and […]
Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. Compare and Contrast Holden and Huckleberry Finn. How does their adolescent inexperience permit their creators, Salinger and Mark Twain, to assert moral values? 2. […]
Related Titles
Salinger’s other important books, all of which were published after The Catcher in the Rye, deal with a more extensive family than Holden’s: the Glass […]