* Jerome David Salinger was born in New York in 1919, and he was the son of a wealthy cheese importer. He graduated from a military academy and briefly attended two colleges, and after his early literary success, he became a recluse. He spent most of his time writing, and his novel, Catcher In The Rye, established him as a leading author and is still widely read, especially among adolescents.
             The Catcher in the Rye is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year-old boy recuperating in a rest home from a nervous breakdown. Holden tells the story of his last day at a school called Pencey Prep, and of his following psychological meltdown in New York City. Through this book Caulfield becomes an example of a rebellious and confused adolescent who discerns the "phoniness" of the adult world.
             The theme in The Catcher in the Rye is a perceptive study of one individual's understanding of his human condition. This makes for uncomfortable reading, but for an entertaining and fascinating novel.
             The purpose of this classic tale is to come to a decision of whether Holden is actually just an insane teenager, or if it is the society which has lost it's mind for failing to see the hopelessness of their own lives.
             The major conflict in this novel is man versus self. Psychologically, Holden battles himself. Life continues on around Holden as it always had, with the majority of people ignoring the 'madman stuff' that is happening to him. And until it begins to encroach on their well-defined social codes, they will have nothing to do with Holden. Progressively throughout the novel the conflict turns to being between the society and the society's attitude to the human condition.
             Holden Caulfield is, of course, the most memorable character. His outlook on life, and his expulsion from school after school make him a character in which on
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