The Catcher In The Rye: Now And Then
For one to fully understand and interpret this book, one must
remember that J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. Still to
this day, the main character, Holden Caulfield, understands what teenagers
and the youth of our society are facing, and dealing with in everyday life.
Over forty years since this book was first published, society has changed
drastically, and yet many things have remained the same. J.D. Salinger
wrote a timeless novel when he wrote The Catcher in the Rye, whether he
fully understood the long lasting effect of his work or not may never be
known; but the book has affected posterity. Holden Caulfield was not the
average sixteen year old in the forties, ...
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of one mother, one father, and one or
more children. Today this is rare and far from normal. Today’s “normal”
family is undefined. If one were to look at the average family it would
probably consist of a single parent with children. Today in the U.S.,
there are over 8 million single-parent homes (Holzman). Forty years ago,
single-parent homes were few and almost unheard of. If a child grew up
with a single parent, divorce was hardly the reason. Death was the cause,
not divorce. Today, divorce is a common factor of life. Holden Caulfield’
s perspective is that of a nuclear family. Holden’s point-of-view and
perspective is still interpreted the same by most teenagers. Even though
families have changed in the forty years since The Catcher in the Rye was
written, its impact on the reader remains the same. This aspect of society
does not affect the book’s meaning and theme.
Besides single parent homes, the family atmosphere has changed in
other ways. With the increasing ...
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not deny the meaning of the book, the reader has to realize how broad
the generation gap is.
Besides the changing aspects of the family, there have been many
changes in society. One of the biggest changes in society that deals with
teenagers in the forties and fifties, compared to present day teenagers, is
the sexual activity of teenagers. Today 25 percent of teenagers are
sexually active by the age of 15 (Holzman). Today pre-marital sex is by no
means encouraged and undoubtedly frowned upon, but it is recognized and
known. Forty years ago, it was strictly forbidden and was not dealt with
because it supposedly “did not happen”. Holden deals with the topic of sex
in a few different ...
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The Catcher In The Rye: Now And Then. (2006, October 29). Retrieved October 25, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Catcher-In-Rye-Now-Then/54750
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"The Catcher In The Rye: Now And Then." Essayworld.com. October 29, 2006. Accessed October 25, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Catcher-In-Rye-Now-Then/54750.
"The Catcher In The Rye: Now And Then." Essayworld.com. October 29, 2006. Accessed October 25, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Catcher-In-Rye-Now-Then/54750.
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