Catcher
was banned in America after it's first publication in 1951. Notably, John Lennon's assassin, Mark
Chapman, requested Lennon sign his copy of Catcher, the same day he murdered
Lennon; it was in Chapman's possession when apprehended. The media speculated widely
about the possible connection, providing Catcher with a more enduring
notoriety. John Hinckley (Ronald
Reagan's would-be assassin) was also a big Catcher fan.
If these guys are/were avid about buttered popcorn, perhaps we could
get another theory going. One relevant fact: even "non-readers" can read Catcher. I
buy every copy encountered out yard "sailing" on weekends to give to friends and
acquaintances who don't read. If they aren't completely pulled in, they'll remain
non-readers, given extraordinary circumstances. For most, a lack of motivation to read is
not a literacy issue.
J. D. (Jerome David)
Salinger was born 1919 in Manhattan, and studied at prep schools; eventually he went
to Valley Forge Military Academy in 1934, fought in World War II, participated in D-Day,
and the invasion of Normandy. On returning, he took a Columbia course in short story
writing. Argueably, his early life is paralleled in Catcher: Holden Caulfield's
prep school woes, et al. since Salinger and Caulfield hailed from the same 'hood.
Still, we readers have to remember it is fiction. Good fiction is
crafted, artfully: with a composite of perhaps many people, synthesizing of events and
amalgamating experiences, individuals (real or imagined) to create the end result. Bravo occasionally runs an excellent Profile
on Salinger. For those who caught their Profile edition on Kerouac, we're sure you'll look for it.
Author Margaret Salinger, daughter of J.D., has penned an autobiography, Dream
Catcher: A Memoir. She reveals thoughts on being the daughter of her reclusive dad
and delves into her parents’ lives prior to her arrival; experiences which inspired
J.D.’s works. Graduating Brandeis University, Margaret Salinger was awarded the
Saval-Sachar scholarship for historical research; also has a M.Phil from Oxford and
attended Harvard Divinity.
Catcher's undeniable
appeal is it's universality and agelessness-- slang and vernacular is possibly dated
(depending on your age or 'hood) but it still resonates with the teen experience.
Its relevancy is tres solid today. Salinger is notorious for being
reclusive. He fled to a rural New Hampshire in response to Catcher's popularity.
He'd created an American icon in Holden, raising himself to the same status.
Holden Caulfield tells his own story with internal dialogue: a teen
recovering from a nervous breakdown, the last day at "Pencey Prep" and a
meltdown in New York. Through his eyes (laughing aloud at our open pages) we view his
Pencey expulsion, his views of roommate Stradlater and dorm neighbor Ackley. We think as
he does when he considers his brother D.B. a Hollywood "sellout". We
empathize. We feel what Holden feels, almost predictably. In New York, the tale
darkens and we feel his brother Allie's death with him. When he wants to see sister Phoebe
(so lovingly characterized, that we love her too) and his old girlfriend Jane Gallagher,
but winds up in less desirable, shallow company-- we relate.
He reaches out to Phoebe, then goes to see a former teacher, Mr. Antolini.
He feels the man is making advances toward him, so he leaves and spends the night on a
bench in Grand Central. He wanders the streets, looking at children and "talks"
to Allie. Attempting to leave New York and hitchhike west, Phoebe insists on going with
him. He caves, takes her to the park: suddenly he's overwhelmed by happiness. From this
point, Holden won't talk about what happened but gives a few details: he goes home, is
sent for treatment, and will attend school. He's sorry for having told so many people
about "it all" he says, because it makes him miss everyone.
The plot in synopsis isn't all that impressive, is it? Essentially,
it's due to Salinger's very creative style in crafting which makes the story so personal
for so many.
So
whuzzit actually about? Thomas Hardy was extraordinary for getting inside the place and time of
people. We could see seemingly firsthand, where and how his characters
lived. Salinger's best, for getting inside the mind. We're in the head of
someone obviously suffering progressively and psychologically-- and some of us, most of
us: see ourselves.
Is Holden insane, or is it the world around him? That debate's as
sensitive as Catcher's readers
are about themselves. J.D.'s Holden has had an incalculable influence and an
inspiration for many, including the crafting of this short fiction. Salinger
exemplifies more than any other writer, that in forcing the reader into the mind of the
protagonist: it's more than a masterful literary tool. In good psychological drama, it's
natural the reader to follow.
***
Comin' Thro' The Rye
Gin a body meet a body
Comin' thro' the rye
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry?
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.
Gin a body meet a body
Comin' frae the town
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body frown?
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.
'Mang the train there is a swain
I dearly lo'e myself
But what his name or whaur his hame
I dinna care to tell Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye.
-- by beloved Scottish literary icon, Robert Burns --
Let's hope Hollywood never screws with
Catcher (or Salinger for that matter)
but you can expect Comin' Thro' the Rye at roll credits,
if they ever do.
©2003 R K Puma rk@rkpuma.com
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