J. D. Salinger
J. D. Salinger "The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." -James Bryce* In 1945, a novel was published that would forever change the way society views itself. The book, entitled The Catcher in the Rye, would propel a man named Jerome David Salinger to fame as one of the most famous authors of the twentieth century. This same man, not ten years after the publication and while still in the peak of his career, would depart from this society- the one that he so greatly changed leaving nothing but his literature to be his lasting voice. However one may view this mysterious life of J. D. Salinger, there is but one thing for certain: J. D. Salinger has provided the reader with a controversial look at society which is greatly enhanced by the integration of his own life experiences, dialect and religious philosophies into his stories.
"Salinger was the greatest mind ever to stay in prep school." -Norman Mailer (qtd. in "Salinger" SSC 291) The story of J. D. Salinger begins in downtown New York, NY, where he was born on January 1, 1919. Little is known about his early childhood, but his parents; Sol and Miriam, were known to be of upper-middle class stature and the family dwelled in downtown New York. As Salinger began to attend junior high school, his grades began to drop so his parents decided to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy, which is located in Pennsylvania. While enrolled in Valley Forge, Salinger's IQ level was tested at 115, which is slightly above average but far from the "genius" or even "superior" category (French 45). At Valley Forge, however, Salinger's grades rose considerably and he earned a scholarship to New York University. Salinger attended New Y...
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... is still lying inside its covers, waiting to be discovered by ever-new audiences.
Bibliography:
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Salinger, J. D.," Short Story Criticism Vol. 2 Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald. Detroit, Michigan: Gale; 1989. pp. 288-320 *. Assorted Quotes. http://www.quoteland.com. Visited on February 4, 2000
J.D Salinger as born in New York City on January 1, 1919, he didn’t wright many novels in which he was renowned for. But one day, he did write one novel that brought him instant fame. In J.D. Salinger’s, Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy on the brink of adulthood, and he is trying to make sense of his existents and where he belongs. He also refuses to lose his innocence even though he knows is inevitable.
J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye depicts a short span in the life of a
Holden's story in The Catcher in the Rye begins with Holden at his school, Pencey Preparatory, which is a boarding school. He was sent there by his parents, who seemed to be withdrawn from his life. Similarly, Salinger's parents sent him to Valley Forge Military School, where he had a neighbor who always seemed to be barging in, showing a resemblance to Ackley. The reader learns that Holden is the son of wealthy parents from New York. It turns out that J.D. Salinger was also born in New York to upper-class parents. It seems as though Holden Caulfield's childhood is an identical match to that of J.D. Salinger's.
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