Ever since this novel was published in 1951, it has been shrouded in controversy. Author J.D. Salinger was born in New York City in 1919, and lived in a stylish neighborhood as the son of a wealthy cheese importer. Salinger's body of work includes many short stories and compellations, but ...

In 1951 at a time when social conformity was seen as a mark of good upbringing and morals, J.D. Salinger decided to publish his future-to-be classic: The Catcher and the Rye. With it came profanity, an immoral protagonist, and the generation's first mass encounter with adolescent sexuality. Sa...

Since its publication in 1951, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has been a topic of much controversy. In most instances, critics tackle the moral issues presented in the book and how these issues are dealt with. Salinger's portrayal of society is enlightening, yet depressing. He uses Holden C...

Holden Caulfied: Saint, Snob, or Somewhere In-between? Although J.D. Salinger has only one novel to his credit, that novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is recognized as an exceptional literary work. The key to the success of The Catcher in the Rye is the main character, Holden Caulfield. There a...