By J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye was first published in The story is told in the first person by Holden Caulfield, a High school junior who has just failed out of his third prep school.

Catcher is significant because it is the first novel ever told from the perspective of a teenager. Holden is a senior in high school, and he talks like one. The book uses slang from the 1940s And 1950s. Lousy or crumby = sucky Giving someone the time = sex Swell = good

The entire story is told from Holden’s point of view, in stream-of-consciousness style. It’s like he is telling you what happened to him as he remembers it. Remember that Holden is NOT a reliable narrator. He does his best to make sure he sounds good in the story, just like we all do when we’re telling stories.

Holden desperately wants you to think he’s cool, so he exaggerates, he talks tough, and he makes things up occasionally. Hardly anyone drinks as much as they say they do, smokes as much as they say they do, has as much luck with girls as they say they do, or is as smart as they say they are. Holden is just a guy trying to figure out who he is, what he believes, and where he fits in.

The author, J.D. Salinger, was famous for his reclusive nature and his control over the copyrights of his book. There are only 3 approved cover designs for the book, and the movie rights have never been released. Salinger died in 2010.

SALINGER, J. D. (born 1919). Although he is one of the most widely read authors in the English language, J. D. Salinger successfully kept himself out of the public eye for most of his career. His preference for seclusion made his life a matter of speculation among fans and his literary output a subject of controversy among critics. Jerome David Salinger was born in New York City on Jan. 1, After studying at Columbia and New York universities, he turned to writing. His first short story appeared in Story magazine in After service in World War II his stories appeared regularly in The New Yorker magazine. Major recognition and a large following came with his novel, 'The Catcher in the Rye', published in This touching and humorous story about a rebellious teenager became a cult book among university students. It was followed by 'Nine Stories' (1953), 'Franny and Zooey' (1961), 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters; and Seymour: an Introduction' (1963). The last three are mostly stories about the Glass family. Altogether Salinger produced 13 short stories and one novel. Some of the stories made use of his wartime experiences, as in "For Esme-With Love and Squalor" (1950). "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" (1948) concerns the suicide of veteran Seymour Glass. Salinger seemed at his best in dramatizing the lives of children. Much of his work concerns the lost innocence of childhood.

The period in American History from is often associated with the idyllic sitcoms of the 50s. However, America emerged from WWII deeply disturbed just like any other nation. Nearly 50 million died America gained prosperity like no other time in its history For the first time America was the dominant world power

America thrived financially New technologies were invented (faster cars, home appliances, mass produced homes) The American Dream seemed to be in everyone’s reach

However, America immediately entered the Korean War and the Cold War Americans were frightened with their foreign relations Many questioned the meaning of life, the individual’s place in society, and which values mattered

In the book we are about to read, the main character, Holden Caulfield, thinks just about everyone is a phony.

 Journals: Please briefly write a definition for the word phony.  Do you know or did you know anyone who is/was a phony? How is that person phony?  Have you ever been phony? When and why?