BARRON'S BOOK NOTES
J. D. SALINGER'S
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
edited for relevance by Ace Ji Zhang

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE: SETTING
The physical action of the book takes place in 1949 at two locations. 
The first seven chapters--about one quarter of the book--are set at 
Pencey Prep, a private school for boys in eastern Pennsylvania. Then 
Holden takes a train ride, and the rest of the book takes place in New 
York City. 
New York City, though, isn't a very accurate description of the major 
setting. It's actually Manhattan, but even that doesn't narrow it down 
enough, because Holden's adventures take him through only a fraction of 
Manhattan, a section less than four miles long and probably half as 
wide. 
Add to this the fact that Holden gives very little description of most 
of the places where he goes, and you have a novel that seems to have no 
real setting. But that isn't the case at all. 
In the first place, Holden gives some description of each place he's 
in, but he does it in the casual, throwaway manner that characterizes 
most of his speech. It's so casual, in fact, that you may not even be 
aware of reading a descriptive passage. 
Second, Holden describes his surroundings when they're important to 
him.  You may find yourself looking forward to visiting the American 
Museum of Natural History after he's told you about it. He paints a 
memorable picture of the carousel in Central Park when Phoebe decides 
to take a ride. He does the same for Fifth Avenue on a shopping day 
before Christmas. 
These descriptions are less important than in most novels. The Catcher 
in the Rye could take place almost anywhere in the United States (and 
in many places throughout the world). That's because the true setting 
of the book is Holden's mind. Critics say such a book is an interior 
monologue or that it employs the stream-of-consciousness technique. 
So many incidents in The Catcher in the Rye took place before the 
weekend we're spending with Holden, so much of what has deeply affected 
him happened years earlier, and such an important part of his life goes 
on inside his head, that the present physical setting becomes almost 
incidental to the story being told. 
As for the time the story takes place, don't even think about it during 
your first reading. (There's a good chance that you'll want to read it 
again.) Except for a few minor references, which are pointed out as 
they appear in the story (see The Story section of this guide), the 
book reads as though it were written very recently. That's one of the 
reasons why people are still reading it after all these years. 
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE: THEMES
When you're talking about a novel that says something significant about 
how people live, it's a mistake to use a sentence that begins, "The 
theme of this novel is..." A good novel doesn't have only one theme. 
Good novels are about many things and have several themes. 
The Catcher in the Rye is no exception. It can be read in several 
different ways, and every reading can be rewarding. You might get one 
message from your first reading and an entirely different message from 
a second reading five or ten years from now. 
Here are some statements that have been made about the novel. Think 
about them as you read. After you've finished, decide how accurate you 
think each of them is in capturing the essence of the book. 
1. It is a novel about a disturbed teenager. Holden can't cope with 
people, with school, or with everyday problems that people his age must 
face. He avoids reality by living a fantasy life, and every forced 
contact with reality drives him deeper into himself. According to this 
analysis, he is anything but a typical teenager, and he certainly isn't 
a good role model for young people. 
2. It is about a teenager who refuses to grow up. He has a fixation on 
childhood, which shows itself in his glorifying of children, his 
inordinate admiration of his younger sister, his idealization of his 
dead younger brother, and the joy he gets from reminiscing about his 
own childhood. He brings on his illness so he won't have to face his 
approaching adulthood. 
3. It is a comment on the insensitivity of modern society. Holden is a 
hero who stands against the false standards and hypocrisy that almost 
all others accept. As much as he would like to accept the world and be 
comfortable like almost everyone else, he can't pretend that his 
society is worthwhile. 
4. It is a comic novel about the way the adult world appears to an 
intelligent literate teenager. Holden subjects everyone he meets to a 
probing examination; and almost everyone fails. His comments are more 
about human nature in general than about individual people, which helps 
explain why the book remains popular. 
5. It is about a boy who struggles to remain faithful to what he sees 
as the truth. His version of truth, however, is very subjective, and 
not necessarily correct. In his mind even good or beautiful things can 
be tainted because of the true motives of their creators.