The Story of J.D Salinger By: Ananya Almeida

 The Story of J.D Salinger 

By: Ananya Almeida

J.D Salinger always had an obscure personality. His book The Catcher in the Rye, has a “cult following”. An example of this cult following is the shooting of John Lennon. When John Lennon was shot, the shooter had a copy of The Catcher in Rye and said that he killed Lennon to promote the novel. The Catcher in the Rye connected to teens as it is a book about 16-year old Holden Caulfield navigating through the ups and downs of his life regarding his mental wellness. The author, J.D. Salinger was involved in WWII and when he returned from the war,  little things that reminded him of the war would send him down a spiral. The war impacted him greatly. J.D. Salinger had a peculiar connection to young people. Majority of his friends were high school and college students. Because of his unresolved trauma from childhood he feels drawn to younger people that he thinks may feel similarly to how he did when he was younger. His relations with young people, especially students became strained when his friend wanted to interview him. When it was published in the school paper, it was picked up by many larger newspapers so he felt betrayed and ended his friendship with students. J.D Salinger’s book, The Catcher in the Rye gained lots of attention after it was published. People after reading the book felt the need to share their feelings and communicate with Salinger because of how the  book impacted them. But, J.D Salinger went underground. He disappeared from the public eye. This was because Salinger never wanted the fame that came with his literature. He just wanted to share his emotions with other people. The Catcher in the Rye was his diary that he wanted to share. He was not ready nor was he willing to accept the fame that people were showering him with after the book was published. The media became obsessed with Salinger because  he went underground and disappeared from the public eye making him more desirable to find. There were many Salinger fans that invaded his privacy and went out of their way to find him despite knowing what a private man he was. This was because of how relatable he was to them. They were looking for an outlet and to let Salinger know how much of an influence he was in their lives. After Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, he isolated himself from society. This was because The Catcher in the Rye was like his diary that he wanted to publish so people could read, understand, and relate. He didn’t want to be famous or carry the label of an author. He just wanted to share his feelings with many people in the form of literature. His book was his way of setting his caged feelings free as he had been alone, not having an outlet for his complex emotions. He disappeared from society because he didn't want fame, fortune, and recognition. He just wanted understanding from people. He wanted people to read his story and relate and learn from him and his experiences. The Catcher in the Rye was his diary and his story that was meant to be shared, not publicized and praised.