As an introduction to The Catcher in the Rye it’s important to understand the development of youth culture—or rather, it’s lack of development. Salinger published this novel in 1951. That means that Holden’s story unfolds just as we’re approaching 1950. This is significant to understanding the book, because it’s significant to understanding Holden and his central dilemma: How do I grow up?
The place and the role of the teenager in American society was very different from the ways in which most of you experience culture today. In fact, the very word—teenager—was not even a part of our common vocabulary at that time and never appears in the novel. Holden’s world looked nothing like yours. America at that time was more or less binary when it came to the ways in which our culture addressed age: there was childhood and adulthood, and very little in between. Teenagers were not largely represented in the media or pandered to in advertising; the very notion of adolescence was something of a new concept and not fully understood or even accepted. YA fiction was not a thing: there were no Katniss Everdeens or Edward Cullens or even Harry Potters. The Marvel universe was not a thing: there were no X-Men or Avengers or even Stan Lee. Youth-driven music was not a thing: there were no Rihannas or Madonnas or even Elvis. The popular culture of America simply did not cater to teenagers.
As a consequence, the transition from childhood to adulthood could be confusing, difficult, and abrupt. You went from reading Alice in Wonderland to reading Ernest Hemingway. You went from watching cowboys and pirates during the matinee hour at the local movie theater to watching Gone with the Wind. And if you were looking for something edgy to listen to, you chose Jazz. All the things that teenagers now read and view and listen to are virtually nonexistent for Holden Caulfield. America did not fully recognize the role, the importance, or the distinctive characteristics of the adolescent mind at that time. Around 1950, the median age of marriage for men was about 23, and for women the median age of both marriage and motherhood was around 21. Imagine that! Holden’s world is one in which you are expected to go from child to adult almost overnight. But the question remains: How?
This is where we find our protagonist Holden Caulfield: sixteen years old, struggling through the middle of his high school education, leaving childhood behind (reluctantly) and about to enter adulthood (even more reluctantly). But where is that pathway? What are the rules? There are no guideposts, no cultural route to map this transition. Unlike you, Holden has none of the movies, books, or music to reflect his current stage of life, nor the social understanding to chart his journey through adolescence. He is on his own. He is confused, angry, anxious, and full of insecurities… but more on all that later.