The Catcher in the Rye

The Controversial Book

* A 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger.

* It has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage confusion, angst, alienation, and rebellion.

* It has been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.

* Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of more than 65 million books.

* The novel's protagonist and antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion.

* The novel was included on Time's 2005 List of the 100 Best English-Language Novels Written Since 1923, and it was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 Best English-Language Novels of the 20th Century.

Essential Questions

How do fear and anxiety drive action?
What is corruption and how does it affect our lives and our decisions?
What leads one to feel isolated or alone?
How can alienation serve as a form of protection?
To what extent should we protect the innocent from evil?
What do one’s thought or behavior patterns reveal about their character?
What are the elements of the Bildungsroman (coming-of-age stories), and how does this novel reflect those elements?

The Catcher in the Rye Blog