The Catcher in the Rye Essays (10743 words) -

The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger GCSE English Literature Study Guide The Novel and it's Publication The Catcher in the Rye was first published as a series of short stories between 1945-6 in the United States. The narrative was first published as a novel in 1951 both in Britain and the United States. There are major differences between the original published versions and the original American text that you are studying. In the early publications, for example, the American version was amended for British audiences by changing Americanised spelling and the removal of expletives or references deemed offensive to the British audience. However, the most telling alteration to the British edition of 1951 and the original American text, published for the first time in Britain in 1994, is the use of italics to add emphasis to Holden's phrases. The effect is telling. Without the italics the sense of an idiosyncratic voice is lost; the impact of Holden's, at times, searing and bitter perspectives, is somewhat attenuated. Whereas, in the original American text, the use of italics helps to further humanise the narrative voice as a representation of a contemporary American youth. The original publication of the novel in 1951 generated great controversy. In 1951, America was coming into its role as the great geo-political superpower of the twentieth century. In the aftermath of the Second World War, which the Americans entered in its later stages but to decisive effect, America found itself in a period of considerable wealth and prosperity. Equally, this economic growth created an increasing understanding of its own moral identity. This was characterised by a clear sense of family values and social responsibility. Indeed, these values were pervasive, with the increasing growth of broadcast media in the US, the moral compass of the American ruling powers, was imposed on Americans through their television sets on a nightly basis. By the 1950s, under the presidency of Harry. S Truman - who authorised the use of the Atomic Bomb and thus cemented the power of the US on the world stage - America had become the first major 'consumer society'. That is, a society that places great value on material possessions as a representation of their personal happiness. In turn, Salinger's presentation of a young man in that society, who is fundamentally disgusted by it, is the antithesis of the prevailing national sentiment of the time. Furthermore, Holden's inherent rebelliousness was considered a negative influence on American youth. However, popular culture in America was beginning to focus on the concept of the 'teenager'. The Catcher in the Rye marks the early beginnings of representations of teenage rebellion in pop-culture. In 1954, James Dean (pictured right) played a rebellious teenager, Jim Stark, in Rebel Without a Cause. The film centred on Stark's defiance of his parents and the education system, in the process making Dean an iconic figure in 1950s culture. Increasingly there was a growing belief that the generation gap in the US was growing; that American youth were disillusioned with the authoritarian outlook of their parents. In turn this explains the inherently censorial approach taken to the novel when it was first published in the 1950s: Holden's ceaseless struggle with authority in the novel embodies the very real conflict that was taking place outside of it in families across Middle America. Interestingly, The Catcher in the Rye's place in education has been problematic. Many school authorities banned the book from the curriculum when it was first published. Indeed, many felt that to teach the book in the classroom - a place where students are supposed to be educated in not just subject matter, but social and moral issues - was to give the Holden's rebelliousness and anti-establishment perspective its intended audience. The novel was still banned in some places as late as 1997. Plot Overview The Catcher in the Rye is narrated from the perspective of a young man called Holden Caulfield who has fallen victim to an undefined psychological illness. Holden does not specify his precise location as he recounts the events leading to his admission to a mental institution. Holden is sixteen at the time of the narrative and he recounts the events that take place between the end of the Autumn term and his return to New York City. Holden's story begins on the Saturday afternoon of a major inter-school football game. Holden does not attend the game but instead stands atop a hill overlooking the match. It is here that Holden reveals to the reader that he has been asked to leave Pencey because he is failing four out