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Setting - The Catcher in the Rye
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Setting of The Catcher in the Rye
By J.D. Salinger
Setting writing by Caspian
January 25th
Place and why there?
The Place of Setting
This talks about the place. Man do I love going places. Places are super cool. So fun. Love places sososos much. here you get to read about places that the book is set. Woowie
The Catcher in the Rye is a story set in both Pennsylvania and New York, with the main character Holden Caulfeild making his way to New York about halfway through the book. Evidence of the transfer between places is a train ride to New York and confirmation that he’s there is when the author writes, “I could picture her breaking a goddamn leg to get to the phone and tell my mother I was in New York.” (Pgs. 77-78).
Why did the author choose this place?
Why the Author Chose this Place
I feel the author chose this setting as it's an age where the world has progressed but there is still an unpleasantness and dinginess around New York as it has not fully gentrified. That makes everything in the book happen in sort of a dingy area with not a lot of brightness to-it, overall setting the book in a dark and unfriendly mood. The setting helps develop the plot of the character's mental deterioration as everywhere he stays and people he talks to causes him to sink further into depression.
Context and time
Context of the Story
Woah cotexst is soc cool. For example, you need context to understand why this is here. Why is it here? Well read the context, I'm talking about context.
Now here we have the time period this takes place. I think this book was 1930 itime? 1940-1950? Im not super sure BUT I got some textual evidence to show you oh boy I do
Holden has just dropped out of high school and is jumping around different parts of New York before he can visit his family like normal during break. His family is rich and his father expects a lot from him, putting pressure and stress on Holden as he has dropped out of high-school. His sister constantly tells him “Daddy’ll kill you!” (Pg. 214). This establishes an extra stress on Holden as he already struggles in the world.
Time Period
Time Period
I feel the story takes place in the 1950s as there is a lot of smoking happening “at the end of all that we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette” (pg. 164). Talk about the war is still common with Holden's older brother having fought in it, “My brother D.B. was in the Army for four goddamn years” (Pg.181). These context clues along with the advancement of phone booths and the fact that, “Eight dollars and eighty five cents.” (Pg. 233) is enough for his little sister to buy presents with her Christmas money.
Beginning/Middle/End Atmosphere
Beginning Atmosphere
Here's a place for the fourth part of your presentation. And to the right, there are subsections for more specific detail.
The feeling created at the beginning of the book is very somber and stifling, with Holden wanting to get out of the Pencey, Pennsylvania.. He flunked out of the school he hated evidenced by him saying, “It was a terrible school, no matter how you looked at it” (Pg.5). This shows his detest for the school he flunked. Another example of this is when Holden narrates “It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I go crazy.” (Pg.19). In this instance Holden is talking about the “phony” ways people interact with each other at school and how he hates it.
Middle Atmosphere
Midway Mood
The mood created midway through the book is still very depressing, with Holden's mental state starting to deteriorate as he burns through his money with drinks and cigarettes. He is constantly trying to make conversation on the phone with people he knows but to no avail, it doesn’t fill the hole he’s looking to fill. An instance of the depressing atmosphere is when Holden is taking a cab at night in New York and notes, “It was so quiet and lonesome out, even though it was a Saturday night.” (Pg.106).
Ending Atmosphere
The concluding mood of the book is (believe it or not) one of depression, but also with a little bit of joy. Throughout the whole book, Holden’s mental state is deteriorating through his constant worrying and irresponsible choices of drinking and spending more than he should. The book ends on a lighter note, with Holden thinking “I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you wanna know the truth.” (Pg. 275). This was the one instance of Holden acting joyful and expressing it in text. Of course, this mood is fully shut down when the page after we find out Holden was writing this all from a mental institution about four months after everything transpired. The book ends not on a happy note, but not one of sadness either, Holden seems indifferent about his situation at the time and is finished retelling his story.