The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Holden Caulfield, the central character, is by no means a traditional hero, yet he is a hero in the eyes of many of the book’s readers. In his own language, Holden presents a view of America in the late 1940s and early 1950s—the schools, the urban experience, family relationships, peer influences, personal values—that still help today’s adolescents judge their own opinions and values.

The Catcher in the Rye offers realism in its use of language, its use of social criticism where it is due, and its presentation of real problems which adolescents face in the process of achieving maturity. The book also offers romanticism in its view of the innocence of childhood, its quest for truth, its idealizing of the past, and its emphasis on individual discovery and growth.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.