Something about the author and his life:
Jerome David Salinger was born in New York in 1919. He was educated at Valley Forge Military Academy and at New York and Columbia universities. In Columbia he took a course in short-story writing. He published short stories in the Saturday Evening Post and other magazines during the 1940’s and served in the U.S. infantry during World War II. The highly successful “The Catcher in the Rye” (1951) has been his only novel and the success of it really surprised him. Now he lives alone in a very simple house in New Hampshire. He refuses any interviews and publicity. The Book was published by:
The Penguin Group (Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London w8 5tz, England)

Date of publication: 1994
Number of pages: 192 (paperback)

Genre-Novel: (diary, novel of social protest, manners, psychological story, stream of consciousness)
It is a story of an emotionally disturbed young man, who confused and disillusioned searches for the truth and criticizes the hypocratical world of adults. A 16-year-old Holden Caulfield tells us everything that happened during 2-3 days after he had been expelled from the school. Social setting:
The main character is from a rich family and he’s spent most of his life in boys’ schools. Now he is alone in a big city and meets the real world of 1940’s.

Geographical setting:
The story starts at Pencey Prep School in Agerstown. Holden is expelled from the school and leaves for New York City where he spends the rest of the time until he returns home. Historical setting:
The events of this novel took place just couple of days before Christmas, 1949. (The year isn’t mentioned exactly so it might also be year 1948 or 1950. Surely it was the late 1940’s)

Initial incident:
It is Holdens last evening at Pencey Prep. He goes to visit his history teacher to say good-bye, because he has been expelled from the school.

Climax:
In my opinion it is the part where Holden decides to leave and go west. He leaves Phoebe a note saying she has to meet him in the park. When she comes, she drags a suitcase with her. She wants to ho with him. The argument they have causes Holden to let go off the idea and they make up. Holden goes home with his sister. Title:
The background of the title is explained when Holden is talking to Phoebe in the middle of the night.