Introducing

J.D. Salinger
1. Reading Passages
2. Comprehension Questions
3. Research

Biography
 Introducing J.D. Salinger, Part 1
J.D. Salinger, the author of one of the world’s best known novels for
teenagers and young adults, The Catcher in the Rye, died on January
27th, 2010. His reputation for reclusiveness and a desire for privacy
were well known to the reading public, and this air of mystery meant
that even his avid fans knew very little about about him.
Jerome David Salinger was born on January 1, 1919 in New York
City, the younger of two children of Sol and Miriam Salinger. His only An illustration of
sibling was a sister six years his senior. Jerome’s father was Jewish. It J.D. Salinger
(Time
was not until after J.D. celebrated his bar mitzvah (a coming-of-age
magazine
ceremony for Jewish boys) at the age of fourteen that cover, 1961).
he learned a truth must have affected his sense of identity. His Scottish-born mother,
whom he had always assumed to be of the same religion as his father, was in fact,
not. When J.D. was young, “mixed” marriages of different religious faiths were not
common and not encouraged by families and the religious community at large.
Jerome, known as “Sonny” when he was young, was an indifferent student at the
public schools and military academy he attended. He was very bright but lacked focus,
despite a facility with language and writing. After high school, Salinger took classes
at several New York City universities, sometimes attending classes at night. One of
his professors encouraged him to write, impressed with J.D.’s talent. In the period
before WWII, many writers began their careers by having short stories published.
J.D. Salinger followed this route, and soon his stories were appearing in print. Salinger’s
early career was interrupted by World War II. Americans joined the conflict, which had
begun in 1939, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in December of 1941.
J.D. was drafted into military service in 1942 and served in the U.S. Army until 1946.
While he was overseas he continued to write and began crafting what would ultimately
become The Catcher in the Rye. War had its effect on Salinger, though, and when it
ended he was hospitalized due to a nervous breakdown.
While hospitalized in Germany, Salinger married a German woman, but the union was
short-lived and the couple soon divorced. After the war, J.D. returned to the U.S., eager
to return to his interrupted writing career. Two of his short stories, which appeared after
the war, “For Esmé – with Love and Squalor” and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” dealt
with some of the author’s war–related experiences.
Define the words below as they are used in the reading passage:
1. avid:

1. indifferent:

1. facility:

1. crafting:
Page 1
 Introducing J.D. Salinger, Part 2

J.D. Salinger had already had some success as a writer before he joined the army in
1942. He had never really held down a job; he was the son of a prosperous man and
although his father encouraged him to join the family business (the importing of cheese
and meat) young Jerome had no interest in that at all.
During World War II, Salinger had begun work on the novel that would
become synonymous with his name: The Catcher in the Rye, apparently even carrying
pages of it into battle. When he returned home to the U.S., he continued to write short
stories, with the New Yorker magazine publishing most of them. Salinger also completed
The Catcher in the Rye, his first novel, and it appeared in print in 1951. The book has not
been out of print since that time.
Salinger was not the easiest writer for publishers to work with. He refused to let
editors rewrite his work, and in the end he would not allow the first publishers who
were considering his novel, to publish it, as they insisted on rewrites. The Catcher in the
Rye was ultimately published by Little, Brown and Company. Salinger’s instincts were
right: his unedited version went on to sell millions of copies. The protagonist,
Holden Caulfield, appealed to adolescents and adults alike, and reflected the era in its
search for meaning after the catastrophes of the Depression and World War II. As the
decade stretched out and the tumultuous 1960’s beckoned, Holden represented a seed
of rebellion that seemed to be just below the surface.
In 1953 a collection of short stories by Salinger appeared, simply called Nine Stories.
His other well known works, Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam,
Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction were published in 1961 and 1963, respectively.
Salinger’s last work, a novella (Hopworth 16, 1924) appeared in the New Yorker in 1965.
In the 1950’s Salinger married a Radcliffe College student, much younger than him-
self: they had two children together. The couple divorced and J.D. later married for a third
time, again to a much younger woman, and this marriage lasted until his death.
J.D. Salinger, never one to court publicity and almost never giving interviews, spent
most of his adult life on a 90-acre property near Cornish, New Hampshire. This simply
served as fodder for speculation and created an air of mystery around the writer.
Whatever his reasons for his isolation, Salinger spent his last fifty-five years out of the
public eye, dying in Cornish at the age of ninety-one.
Above right: The author’s signature.
Define the words below as they are used in the reading passage:
1. synonymous:

1. ultimately :

1. catastrophes:

1. fodder:
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 Introducing J.D. Salinger

1. What did you learn about J.D. Salinger’s family background by reading the passages?
How do you think his upbringing influenced his life?

He belonged to a "mixed" marriage family, this meant that his parents were of different religions, which was not
encouraged at the time. Since this was kept from him, it made him question his identity.

2. What influence do you think education had on young Jerome’s future career? Support
your answer with at least one example.
His education influenced his career because it was there where his talent/facility with language and writing was
discovered. Also, because his teachers encouraged him to write and that may have helped him develop a passion for it
in the future.

3. Briefly describe the events of J.D. Salinger’s early adulthood up to his discharge from the
military in 1946. Explain how his experiences might have been useful for a future writer.

When he first started his writing career, he published short stories, following many other beginner writers' path. Then,
came WWII and Salinger was drafted into the military to serve in the US Army. While away, he continued to write and
also started creating The Catcher in the Rye. Finally, he was discharged after 4 years of service. While these
experiences affected him negatively, he also used them as inspiration for future works.

4. Briefly summarize Salinger’s writing career once he returned to the U.S. after WWII.

After he returned from his service, Salinger continued with his writing career. He published more stories, some
inspired by his war experiences, most published in the New Yorker magazine. He also finished his first novel, The
Catcher in the Rye, which sold millions of copies. Later, he also published a collection of short stories, and his last
work was a short novel published in the New Yorker.

5. When was The Catcher in the Rye published? Why do you think Salinger was opposed to
editors changing his work?

The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951 by Little, Brown and Company. Salinger might have been opposed to
changes on his work because he wanted to maintain its authenticity and make sure that his writing reached the
audience the way que intended it to when elaborating it.

6. Where did Salinger move to in the mid-1950’s in order to live a more private life?
He moved, with his third wife, to a 90-acre property near Cornish, New Hampshire.

7. J.D. Salinger was known for being reclusive and rarely making public appearances. What
are some of the pressures that famous people face that might want them to retreat from the
world? How different do you think it is today than it would have been in the 1950’s?

The lack of privacy that celebrities face is what may make them want to become as reclusive as Salinger was. This
constant attention that they receive is worse nowadays because of the internet and social media platforms. These
expose them to hate comments and critics that may even end up affecting their mental health.

Page 3
 January 1, 1919 American

January 27, 2010 He went to public schools and a

military academy when he was
young. Later, he took classes in
Natural causes various New York universities.

Valley Forge Military Academy,

Ursinus College, and Columbia
University.

The Catcher in the Rye

After the publication on "The Catcher in the Rye" and he was alive at that time.

"Franny and Zooey" (1961), genre: fiction. Holden Caulfield

Seymour Glass

Reclusive, influential, reflective.

He served in the World War II and was
present during the D-Day invasion of
Normandy.

Introspective, impactful.

Salinger was known for his reclusive nature

and avoided the public eye for much of his "I am a kind of a paranoiac in reverse. I
later life. suspect people of plotting to make me
happy."

He was deeply influenced by Eastern

spirituality and incorporated these themes
into his writing.
Goodreads

Salinger's works continue to be highly

regarded and influential in the literary world. Salinger faced the obstacle of dealing with
the overwhelming success and public
attention that came with the publication of
"The Catcher in the Rye".

[Link], The New Yorker.