The Catcher in the Rye: History, Behavior and Social Issues

This books takes place in what i believe to be the 50's or later. The way they acted and expressed themselves were much different than how we do today. This young boy was not afraid to walk the streets at night by himself when in today's world people are frightened of the men who prowl the streets waiting for unsuspecting victims to theft, rape and murder. Holden could also walk into a club, and because of his height, order a drink, usually a scotch and soda, and the waiter would not even question him on is age(Salinger,185). There was never anyone in the place to card people for their identification to make sure that you were of age. No one seemed to have really cared. Holden could also buy tobacco without anyone questioning him of his age even though he was just a teenager.

The behavior of the people in the time period were also different. They may call you "Mac" when today no one ever says that. Times do change along with expressions, but this is a well known word that people just do not use. Today they do not play the news when you go to the theaters because we see it on television, but back then they would show a newsreel before the movie and that is how you would know what is going on in the world. In today's society and education program there is no way that a student could only take five classes and there is also no way that a kid could just decide to leave the school and not come back without some kind of state lockdown and an entire search for the kid (maybe an exaggeration) . Then the school must have just figured he would be alright. The parents were not even informed that Holden had flunked out of school, when today that is the first person they go and rat you out to even if you do something so minuscule that it should not even given any attention.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print