Catcher in the Rye

& the 1950s

Historical Context: WWII

The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951.

August, 1945: first atomic bombs used in warfare dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Reasons for the bombings controversial

President Truman in his radio speech from Aug. 9, 1945: “The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. But that attack is only a warning of things to come.”

Historical Context: WWII

Hiroshima’s civilian population was approx. 300,000. It was also an important military center, containing about 43,000 soldiers.

Death toll estimates for both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are only approximate:

In Hiroshima, approx. 70,000 people immediately killed as result of initial blast, heat, and radiation effects. After five years, the death total was approx. 200,000+ due to cancer and other long-term effects.

In Nagasaki, approx. 40,000 people were immediately killed. After five years, the death total was approx. 140,000.

The Post-War Era

After end of WWII (1945), growing confidence in U.S. military and economic might

End of war rationing meant access to consumer items

Opportunities for employment for many (although women employed in wartime factories often exited the workforce)

Burgeoning consumer culture of “luxury for the masses”

Culture of the Post War/Cold War Era Symbols and signs of optimism, wealth, and

vulgarity:*the car (In the ’50s, 20% of GNP of U.S. went to purchasing vehicles)* gaudy colors & chrome* the supermarket (with an astounding selection of goods)*home appliances (the “mod cons”)* the suburbs

Levittown: considered first planned, mass-produced community in the suburbs; built 1947-1951 on Long Island

The Mainstream vs. The Artists While the mainstream was embracing the consumerism

and prototypical suburban family, many artists felt isolated and disconnected from the mainstream.

These artists were often seeking:*apolitical subject matter that was avant-guard

*a divergence from past art forms

*sublime beauty and transcendence (…we are back to Emerson and Thoreau in some ways)

* reactions and meaning-making from the viewers/readers/listeners

About Salinger

Born 1919 in New York City to parents Sol and Miriam; father was Jewish, mother, Catholic

Attended public and private schools in Manhattan; then Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania (may be basis for Pencey Prep)

Attended New York University and Ursinus College, but did not graduate from either

About Salinger

Distinguished himself as writer in second semester of night class at Colombia with Whit Burnett, editor of Story magazine

First publication appeared in 1940 in Story: “The Young Folks”

Many stories submitted to, and rejected by, The New Yorker

About Salinger

In December 1941, The New Yorker accepted “Slight Rebellion Off Madison,” about a teenager named Holden with "pre-war jitters."

Story was not published until 1946 because deemed inappropriate after Pearl Harbor attack in same month

About Salinger

Served in WWII: participated in D-Day Landings in 1944; was one of first soldiers to enter a liberated concentration camp

Was treated for shell shock, aka combat stress reaction, after the war

Met and began correspondence with Earnest Hemingway while overseas; E.H. called Salinger “a helluva talent”

About Salinger

Critically acclaimed “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” published in The New Yorker in 1948

The Catcher in the Rye, featuring Holden Caulfield, was published on in July 1951

Salinger on Catcher: "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it.”

About Salinger’s techniques and themes Techniques/aspects of style:

*internal monologue*sparse but revealing dialogue*young characters as focus* colloquialisms intermingled with elevated diction

Themes in Catcher and other works:* youthful innocence and the loss thereof* alienation and isolation of the individual* failure to live up to parental and society’s expectations

Be on the lookout for these elements!

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

• Author: J.D. Salinger• Publication date: 1951, although Salinger was working on the novel for the last half of the 1940s, after he returned from his service in World War II.

The classic American family

Family roles were fairly traditional in Salinger’s day:•Dad was the sole provider and the head of the household•Mom was most often a homemaker – cooking, cleaning and taking care of her husband and kids

And the kids?

• Education was much less of a priority than it is today.

• If the kids finished high school, college was a relatively rare option.–Getting a job and getting married straight out of high school were much more common.

–How does this compare to your plans?

What changed?• After World War II ended (1945), the old-

school family structure and roles started to change a bit– Victorious war effort left the U.S. much more

financially stable…people had money again! – And what do people do when they have

money?

Spend it!

• In the late 1940s/early 50s, there were two consumer products that helped to create our modern concept of the teenager:– The television– The automobile

Hmmmm…

• So, how would an increase in TV and car purchases change American families?

• And more specifically, how would these purchases impact teenagers?– (insert brainstorm here)

TVs/Hollywood• Advertising split Americans into demographics

(men, women, old, young, teen, etc.)• “Family time” changed• Different shows appealed to different ages• Attractive people – the pin-ups

1950s 2000s

Paris Hilton

Tom Brady

Marilyn Monroe

James Dean

1950s

Elvis Presley

2000s

Justin Timberlake

CarsMore accessible + more affordableDetract from familySense of freedomImages of “cool”Emergence of fast foodPossibilities for drinking + sex

The new teenager• So all in all, the 1950s saw the birth

of “the modern teenagers,” as we think of them

• Holden Caulfield, the narrator of The Catcher in the Rye, is arguably the first modern teenager of literature.

Key questions as we read Catcher:

• What are the pros, cons and responsibilities of each age group?

• Why does Holden have such a difficult time fitting in?• What makes Holden so relatable as a narrator?• Similarities/differences between Holden’s issues and

the issues of today’s teens?• What are Holden’s priorities? Why?• How does J.D. Salinger use symbolism to help develop

his themes over the course of the novel?