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Catcher in the Rye & the 1950s An Introduction by Mrs. Kucaj

Catcher in the Rye & the 1950s An Introduction by Mrs. Kucaj. The Catcher in the Rye. Bringing you America’s most popular loner teenager since 1951. The Catcher in the Rye. Author: J.D. Salinger

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Catcher in the Rye & the 1950s An Introduction by Mrs. Kucaj

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  1. Catcher in the Rye& the 1950sAn Introduction byMrs. Kucaj

  2. The Catcher in the Rye Bringing you America’s most popular loner teenager since 1951

  3. The Catcher in the Rye • Author: J.D. Salinger • Publication date: 1951, although Salinger was working on the novel for the last half of the 1940s, after he returned from his service in World War II.

  4. The classic American family • Family roles were fairly traditional in Salinger’s day: • Dad was the sole provider and the head of the household • Mom was most often a homemaker – cooking, cleaning and taking care of her husband and kids

  5. And the kids? • Education was much less of a priority than it is today. • If the kids finished high school, college was a relatively rare option. • Getting a job and getting married straight out of high school were much more common. • How does this compare to your plans?

  6. What changed? • After World War II ended (1945), the old-school family structure and roles started to change a bit • Victorious war effort left the U.S. much more financially stable…people had money again! Woohoo! • And what do people do when they have money?

  7. Spend it! • In the late 1940s/early 50s, there were two consumer products that helped to create our modern concept of the teenager: • The television • The automobile

  8. Hmmmm… • So, how would an increase in TV and car purchases change American families? • And more specifically, how would these purchases impact teenagers? • (insert brainstorm here)

  9. TVs/Hollywood • Advertising split Americans into demographics (men, women, old, young, teen, etc.) • “Family time” changed • Different shows appealed to different ages • Attractive people – the pin-ups

  10. 1950s 2000s Marilyn Monroe Paris Hilton Tom Brady James Dean

  11. 2000s Justin Timberlake 1950s Elvis Presley

  12. Cars More accessible + more affordable Detract from family Sense of freedom Images of “cool” Emergence of fast food Possibilities for drinking + sex

  13. The new teenager • So all in all, the 1950s saw the birth of “the modern teenagers,” as we think of them • Holden Caulfield, the narrator of The Catcher in the Rye, is arguably the first modern teenager of literature.

  14. Key questions as we read Catcher: • What are the pros, cons and responsibilities of each age group? • Why does Holden have such a difficult time fitting in? • What makes Holden so relatable as a narrator? • Similarities/differences between Holden’s issues and the issues of today’s teens? • What are Holden’s priorities? Why? • How does J.D. Salinger use symbolism to help develop his themes over the course of the novel?

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