3.) J.D Salinger and his Self-Insert Protagonist

This record discusses Salinger's relation to Holden, and how his backstory explains his quasi-obsession with his own loss of innocence.

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            <p>Many classic American authors tend to have an air of mystery around them, but perhaps
                none more than J.D Salinger. Salinger lived an extremely quiet life until his death
                in 2010, and like many men crazed with passion was actually quite the recluse. For
                much of his live, he lived separated from most of society, in a house which was
                purposely built away from it all. It is rumored that in the nearly five decades
                between his final publication and his death, Salinger wrote many other things that
                never saw the light of day.</p>
            <p>While I don't believe that a novel has to be analyzed through the lens of its author,
                I believe it is essential for this novel. As shown in so many of his stories,
                Salinger was extremely concerned about the common loss of innocence that all people
                go through. At many times, it seems as if Salinger viewed the adult world as a
                scourge which should be hidden from people, much like Holden does for the majority
                of the novel.</p>
            <p>In reading into Salinger's past, it is very easy to see why this ideal might have
                taken hold within him. I believe it's important to note that J.D Salinger saw more
                of humanity's horrors in World War II in the time he served than many other popular
                war time authors. Kurt Vonnegut, author of the acclaimed Slaughterhouse Five,
                actually saw far less of the actual war than the soldiers of Salinger's platoon.
                However, instead of writing about what he saw in the war, Salinger instead wrote
                about a teenager moping around New York City, struggling to find someone who would
                listen to him.</p>
            <p>I think this is extremely telling of why Catcher exists as it does. After having his
                innocence ripped from him, Salinger came home and could not stop thinking about the
                unfairness of it all. After chasing after younger girls, writing about lost
                teenagers, and living a life of seclusion, it seems like Salinger self-inserted
                Holden into his works.</p>
            <p>For those who aren't aware of the term, a self-insert character is a common trope in
                literature, where the author creates a character in their story modelled after
                themselves. Holden Caulfield is a lost, confused, depressed soul who has already
                lost his innocence and is looking for the right way to admit it to himself, and it
                seems as if Salinger was the same way.</p>
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J.D Salinger, and his Self-Insert Protagonist

Publication Information

Many classic American authors tend to have an air of mystery around them, but perhaps none more than J.D Salinger. Salinger lived an extremely quiet life until his death in 2010, and like many men crazed with passion was actually quite the recluse. For much of his live, he lived separated from most of society, in a house which was purposely built away from it all. It is rumored that in the nearly five decades between his final publication and his death, Salinger wrote many other things that never saw the light of day.

While I don't believe that a novel has to be analyzed through the lens of its author, I believe it is essential for this novel. As shown in so many of his stories, Salinger was extremely concerned about the common loss of innocence that all people go through. At many times, it seems as if Salinger viewed the adult world as a scourge which should be hidden from people, much like Holden does for the majority of the novel.

In reading into Salinger's past, it is very easy to see why this ideal might have taken hold within him. I believe it's important to note that J.D Salinger saw more of humanity's horrors in World War II in the time he served than many other popular war time authors. Kurt Vonnegut, author of the acclaimed Slaughterhouse Five, actually saw far less of the actual war than the soldiers of Salinger's platoon. However, instead of writing about what he saw in the war, Salinger instead wrote about a teenager moping around New York City, struggling to find someone who would listen to him.

I think this is extremely telling of why Catcher exists as it does. After having his innocence ripped from him, Salinger came home and could not stop thinking about the unfairness of it all. After chasing after younger girls, writing about lost teenagers, and living a life of seclusion, it seems like Salinger self-inserted Holden into his works.

For those who aren't aware of the term, a self-insert character is a common trope in literature, where the author creates a character in their story modelled after themselves. Holden Caulfield is a lost, confused, depressed soul who has already lost his innocence and is looking for the right way to admit it to himself, and it seems as if Salinger was the same way.

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J.D Salinger, and his Self-Insert Protagonist

Publication Information

Many classic American authors tend to have an air of mystery around them, but perhaps none more than J.D Salinger. Salinger lived an extremely quiet life until his death in 2010, and like many men crazed with passion was actually quite the recluse. For much of his live, he lived separated from most of society, in a house which was purposely built away from it all. It is rumored that in the nearly five decades between his final publication and his death, Salinger wrote many other things that never saw the light of day.

While I don't believe that a novel has to be analyzed through the lens of its author, I believe it is essential for this novel. As shown in so many of his stories, Salinger was extremely concerned about the common loss of innocence that all people go through. At many times, it seems as if Salinger viewed the adult world as a scourge which should be hidden from people, much like Holden does for the majority of the novel.

In reading into Salinger's past, it is very easy to see why this ideal might have taken hold within him. I believe it's important to note that J.D Salinger saw more of humanity's horrors in World War II in the time he served than many other popular war time authors. Kurt Vonnegut, author of the acclaimed Slaughterhouse Five, actually saw far less of the actual war than the soldiers of Salinger's platoon. However, instead of writing about what he saw in the war, Salinger instead wrote about a teenager moping around New York City, struggling to find someone who would listen to him.

I think this is extremely telling of why Catcher exists as it does. After having his innocence ripped from him, Salinger came home and could not stop thinking about the unfairness of it all. After chasing after younger girls, writing about lost teenagers, and living a life of seclusion, it seems like Salinger self-inserted Holden into his works.

For those who aren't aware of the term, a self-insert character is a common trope in literature, where the author creates a character in their story modelled after themselves. Holden Caulfield is a lost, confused, depressed soul who has already lost his innocence and is looking for the right way to admit it to himself, and it seems as if Salinger was the same way.