Salinger and Holden: Silent Heroes of Modern Times

Among the great writers of the tumultuous decade of 1950s America, J. D. Salinger acquires a peculiar stance. His popularity rests precisely on two bases: that he was the writer of one literary bible of the young generations to come, The Catcher in the Rye, and that he was, ironically enough, resentful toward the publicity brought by this novel and few, but brilliant, short stories. This essay will focus on the mystery of Salinger’s silence and self-imposed exile by exploring his life and ideas and the various social and critical responses to his celebrated novel.