J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye has been accused of excess vulgarity and
banned from highschool classrooms, however close examination reveals it is merely the
expression of a disturbed adolescent and therefore appropriate. Salinger's background
and adolescence can be examined and compared to that of Holden Caulfield, the hero in
Catcher in the Rye, as well as Holden's deep emotions and intense feelings in order to
fully understand why the language was used.
J.D. Salinger was born on January 1, 1919. His father was Jewish and was very
prosperous (Stevenson 14). When he was 13 in 1932, he attended McBurney school of
Manhattan and failed out of the school at the end of the first quarter. Then his father sent
him to Valley Forge Military Acadamy in Pennsylvania (Walters 21). A friend of his
recalled climbing over a fence with him in highschool and said, "He was full of wit and
humor and sizzling wisecracks...I think he relized at that age he was more talented with
the pen then the rest of us.. his conversation was frequently laced with
Salinger has a very unique personality and differing views on the world. He has
been known to lie about his past, saying he played goalie for the Montreal Canadians, and
the Marx Brothers were always coming to his house when he was young (Walters 23). He
sees the world in views of allies and enemies. He has a good deal of natural style and a
cruel ear, he dislikes many previously stated ideas and is very opinionated (Kazin 67). His
zeal for privacy is unbievable, even though he is such a private person millions of teens
feel closer to him than any other writer (Lundquist 11). He cannot accept people who
seem to be dynamic worldshakers who are only motivated be materialistic goals. He
wants humans to have a sense of compassion (Stevenson 17). Salinger seems as if he
would be a republican because he would fav
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