To conclude, Salinger uses settings with intelligent thought, Mr Antolini's apartment and at Holden's home to display Holden's relationships with other young people and adults. Through The Catcher in the Rye Salinger describes important aspects of the 1950s. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye is a remarkable book that gives readers a unique and perhaps gloomy perspective of the 1950s through Holden Caulfield, a cynical and peculiar teenager. He also thinks about how kind it was of Mr Antolini to allow him to come to his apartment at such a late time. 1950s Culture Exposed in The Catcher in the Rye Essay. This is very unusual for Holden to do, as this is the first time that Holden evaluates his judgement and in fact in chapter twenty five, Holden wonders that maybe Mr Antolini was not making a 'flitty pass' at him. This statement and encounter with Mr Antolini is rather ambiguous, however what is very interesting is that after leaving, Holden evaluates his judgement regarding Mr Antolini. In this setting Holden's relationship is revealed with his former teacher Mr Antolini.read more.Īfter this incident, Holden leaves immediately and mentions that acts such as this 'perverty stuff' happened to him about 'twenty times' since he was a child. Another setting considered of importance in the novel is Mr and Mrs Antolini's 'swanky' apartment. This is explained by the fact that Phoebe does not actually fit in with Holden's romanticised dream, as she is anything but innocent and na�ve, displaying at times, maturity far beyond her age of ten. Where Holden most recently went to school until he was kicked out and ran away. Moreover, it also shows the deep connection that he has with his young sister. This setting also presents the importance of his relationship with his sister. Furthermore, Phoebe dismisses Holden's romanticised ambition, and that is why this setting is significant as it is the first time that Holden has described his ambition to anyone. So, by not allowing children to 'fall' into the adult world of cynicism, hypocrisy and most importantly 'phoniness', he is protecting their innocence. Two settings which are particularly significant in the novel include Holden's encounter with Phoebe in chapter 22 (where he informs her of his ambition to be the 'catcher in the rye).read more.įrom falling of a 'crazy cliff'. The settings used in the novel by Salinger are highly important in depicting the behaviour of Holden towards others, but most importantly showing his level of mental state. The protagonist in the novel, Holden Caulfield could be considered as an epitome of teenagers. In fact, it was actually censored in numerous American high schools, to such an extent that some professors lost their jobs because of teaching it. The novel was highly controversial when first published. The bildungsroman, The Catcher in the Rye could be considered as one of J.D Salinger's most famous novel of all time. write about: -how the settings are presented. Question: May 2006 How important are settings in The Catcher in the Rye? -Choose two settings.