The Catcher in the Rye - Question 5

How does this novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting?

The story takes place in two main places. It takes place at Pencey Prep and then switches over to New York City. The story is told sometime between 1949 and 1950. Why is that important? That time was right after World War II. Since Holden represents innocence, that time period was very relevant to the story. During World War II, the United States dropped the atomic bomb, and Holden even mentions that briefly in the story. In a way, that was when the United States lost its innocence. The story also points out many major differences between today's society and the society in the story. There really weren't very many people that drove cars in the story, the main transportation method was train or taxi. Also, the school system was different. There were many private schools, such as the one that Holden was kicked out of. Also, I found it funny that a teenager would have enough money to get a hotel room for a few nights, buy drinks at a bar, go see a movie and even get a prostitute. I can tell you for sure that there is no way I would ever have enough money on me to do all of that in today's society. The idea of family was also very different than it is today. In the story The Grapes of Wrath family was very important and they were very close to each other, but in this story, I really didn't read much about family interactions. They just seemed distant. I honestly can't even remember much about Holden's mother or father because the author chose not to go into much detail about them. When it comes down to it, regardless of the setting or time period, the message holds true for any time in history. Any kid would be able to relate to Holden, whether they lived in the 1950 or 2050.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.