CONTEXT
Historical
The catcher in the rye was set in 1949 which was a remarkable time for the USA as technology such as Coloured TV's were introduced, DNA was discovered and Truman signed a peace treaty with Japan which ended World war 2 which was a relief for many Americans.
1946
Following the end of the war many people expected a better life in comparison to the life they had been living which included events such as the great depression, world war 2 and worldwide poverty. There were many shortages in jobs and housing for those who returned from War. The Catcher in the Rye takes place shortly after World war 2 which was during Christmas. The Late 1940's were dominated by World war 2 as European artists and intellectuals fled to the United states from Hitler and the Holocaust. War production was the main factor that pulled America out of the main depression. Women replaced men who had gone to fight in war and took over their jobs. At this time racial equality was finally being achieved.
The impact that the great depression had on the people of America is that although the depression had come to an end it resulted in the loss of loved ones which affected the people of America greatly. Despite America's recovery there were still some extremely poor people and overly rich people. This had an impact on the lifestyle of people as the rich had the means to provide for their children's living however poor people found themselves in dangerous situations of depression after having lost members of the family which essentially affected their mental state and behaviour.
Facts of the Late 40's
Unemployed people - 1940 - 8,120,000.
National Debt of $43 billion
Minimum wage of $43 per hour
Music & Lifestyle - 1950'S Rock 'n' Roll, which developed from a blend of Southern blues and gospel music with an added strong back beat. This genre of music was popular amongst teenagers. The lifestyle of people was now changing as prohibition ended, people were going to clubs, women began showing more skin and had boyfriends.
Literary
Before the Novel was published :
Literary period - Modern America
Not much is known about what influenced J.D Salinger to write the Catcher in the Rye. During World War 2, he met with Ernest Hemingway in Paris which hints that Salinger admired Hemingway's work. Even if this is true it is difficult to say that any author had influenced the catcher in the rye because it is written with an honest and open attitude, which may have been unheard of in American Fiction which is what made J.D Salinger unique.
After the Novel was published :
Until another author can produce a literary work which is capable of doing a better job than the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger's novel will remain in 1st place in the western literary canon in the future. The novel has had a lasting influence as it remains a best-seller till this day.
Related Literary Works - Novels which were influenced by The Catcher in the Rye :
Socio Economic Conditions in America - 1950's
Social Conditions
The Catcher in The Rye is set in New York, Pennsylvania. In the novel Holden attends Pency Prep School which in the novel is described as a school for the upper class and wealthy people. As J.D Salinger was born in New York and went to school in Pennsylvania this suggests that these places may have been significant to him which is why he used them in the novel.
Biographical
Jerome David Salinger born January 1st 1919 in New York and was an American author who is best known for his novel The catcher in the rye. He was one of the most famous authors of the 20th century. His novel the catcher in the rye set a new course for literature in the post World War ll.
Many events from Salinger’s early life appear in The Catcher in the Rye as Holden Caulfield moves from prep school to prep school, is threatened with military school, and knows an older Columbia student. In the novel, many aspects from his life are transplanted into a post–World War II setting.
The catcher in the rye was set in 1949 which was a remarkable time for the USA as technology such as Coloured TV's were introduced, DNA was discovered and Truman signed a peace treaty with Japan which ended World war 2 which was a relief for many Americans.
1946
Following the end of the war many people expected a better life in comparison to the life they had been living which included events such as the great depression, world war 2 and worldwide poverty. There were many shortages in jobs and housing for those who returned from War. The Catcher in the Rye takes place shortly after World war 2 which was during Christmas. The Late 1940's were dominated by World war 2 as European artists and intellectuals fled to the United states from Hitler and the Holocaust. War production was the main factor that pulled America out of the main depression. Women replaced men who had gone to fight in war and took over their jobs. At this time racial equality was finally being achieved.
The impact that the great depression had on the people of America is that although the depression had come to an end it resulted in the loss of loved ones which affected the people of America greatly. Despite America's recovery there were still some extremely poor people and overly rich people. This had an impact on the lifestyle of people as the rich had the means to provide for their children's living however poor people found themselves in dangerous situations of depression after having lost members of the family which essentially affected their mental state and behaviour.
Facts of the Late 40's
Unemployed people - 1940 - 8,120,000.
National Debt of $43 billion
Minimum wage of $43 per hour
Music & Lifestyle - 1950'S Rock 'n' Roll, which developed from a blend of Southern blues and gospel music with an added strong back beat. This genre of music was popular amongst teenagers. The lifestyle of people was now changing as prohibition ended, people were going to clubs, women began showing more skin and had boyfriends.
Literary
Before the Novel was published :
Literary period - Modern America
Not much is known about what influenced J.D Salinger to write the Catcher in the Rye. During World War 2, he met with Ernest Hemingway in Paris which hints that Salinger admired Hemingway's work. Even if this is true it is difficult to say that any author had influenced the catcher in the rye because it is written with an honest and open attitude, which may have been unheard of in American Fiction which is what made J.D Salinger unique.
After the Novel was published :
Until another author can produce a literary work which is capable of doing a better job than the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger's novel will remain in 1st place in the western literary canon in the future. The novel has had a lasting influence as it remains a best-seller till this day.
Related Literary Works - Novels which were influenced by The Catcher in the Rye :
- Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
- A complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
- The Bell jar by Sylvia Plath
- Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Socio Economic Conditions in America - 1950's
Social Conditions
- The 1950's socially was an exciting and eventful time to be alive. During this time most of the known 'Baby Boomers' were growing up.
- Through out the 1950's both unemployment and inflation remained low because at this time the war was over and many women were allowed to keep their careers. This resulted in the total number of females employed to increase by 18%.
- The overall standard of living during the fifties also steadily rose. Most people invested in new cars and houses so their children would have a better future.
- The American population was shifting from the country to the city then to the suburbs. More people moved from the North-east and Midwestern sections of the country to the West & South. Each year one out of every five families packed up and left for somewhere else.
- In 1951, 1.5 million TV sets were sold in the United States, ten times more than what it was in 1950. Any family that had a TV in the house was by far the most popular house on the street.
- Economically speaking, the 1950's were relatively a stale period of time compared to the 1930's and 1940's. The 1950's, being an uneventful period, explains why the economy did not experience any major problems or breakthroughs.
- Inflation was an important issue during the 1950's because the conditions swept the country at this time. The first followed the end of the World War 2 and the second onset of the Korean War in 1950. Post World war 2, America waited expectantly for the United States to suffer a post-war economic collapse. The recession came in the third quarter of 1948 and lasted until the second quarter of 1950.
- Consumer prices increased significantly over this decade due to a number of factors. The first of which was the slow growth of productivity in the US economy at the time especially in the service sector.
- There were also a number of other developments in the business sector over the decade the housing supply increased by 27% and the overall quality level of aggregate US housing increased dramatically.
- By the end of the years America had pulled out of the previous year's recession and gross national product was growing at a rate of 7.6%.
The Catcher in The Rye is set in New York, Pennsylvania. In the novel Holden attends Pency Prep School which in the novel is described as a school for the upper class and wealthy people. As J.D Salinger was born in New York and went to school in Pennsylvania this suggests that these places may have been significant to him which is why he used them in the novel.
Biographical
Jerome David Salinger born January 1st 1919 in New York and was an American author who is best known for his novel The catcher in the rye. He was one of the most famous authors of the 20th century. His novel the catcher in the rye set a new course for literature in the post World War ll.
Many events from Salinger’s early life appear in The Catcher in the Rye as Holden Caulfield moves from prep school to prep school, is threatened with military school, and knows an older Columbia student. In the novel, many aspects from his life are transplanted into a post–World War II setting.