100th Birthday of J.D.Salinger

                         A little more than seven months ago, precisely on 1st January, the writer J.D.Salinger would complete 100 years-old, so this is my tribute to this important writer. His books were the early influence of the called "counterculture movement". This movement wanted broaden popular culture with less censorship, hipocrisy and standards, a more spontaneous, real, natural and human existence.  This post is a summary of five articles. The first published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Salinger.The second was published at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/01/catcher-in-the-rye_n_4524045.html. The third was published at http://www.gradesaver.com/the-catcher-in-the-rye/study-guide/major. The fourth was published athttps://www.thedailybeast.com/jd-salinger-at-100-forever-young-forever-influential. The fifth was published at https://blog.gale.com/once-upon-an-author-j-d-salingers-100th-birthday/

             Jerome David Salinger ( 1919-2010 ) was an American writer raised in Manhattan and that began writing stories while in high school. After he went to study literature and writing at Columbia University.  In World War II, due to his proficiency in French and German he worked to a counter-intelligence division. After the war his writings started to be published in The New Yorker magazine. By the late 1940s, he become an avid follower of Zen Buddhism. In 1951, his novel  "The Catcher in the Rye" was an immediate popular success. His depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence was influential. The novel remains widely read and controversial. The success of The Catcher in the Rye led to public attention and scrutiny. Salinger became reclusive. Another great success was the short story, "Franny and Zooey" published in 1961. He died at 91 years-old of natural causes on January 2010, at his home in New Hampshire state, USA. He left one son and one daughter. His energetic, realistically sparse dialogue, was revolutionary at the time were published. Salinger identified closely with his characters, and used techniques such as interior monologue and extended telephone calls. Salinger`s writings has influenced several prominent writers: Harold Brodkey, John Updike, Philip Roth and Richard Yates said about his influence. 

             The famous reclusive author, known for penning "The Catcher in the Rye" and  "Franny and Zooey", has been in the spotlight more than he probably would have liked this year, due to the release of a biography, and the leaking of three of his unpublished stories. We would like to revisit why, we cherish the memory of Salinger. Though his most famous work, "The Catcher in the Rye", is often shrugged off as relatable only to angsty, insufferable teens, it is withstood the test of time. Sure, it is the "great American high school novel." Here are five things this novel can teach you about life, even if your prom-going days are far behind you. 1) You are not alone in your frustations - Holden spends the bulk of the book complaining. Still, his frustations and grievances can help readers to understand that they are not the only one coping with problems.  2) Social niceties are not always phony - he feels he must act in accordance with social norms, that they exist for a reason. He does not have the best attitude about niceties, but he acknowledge that, at times, they can be important. 3) Excellent writing can transport you - Holden is a big reader, and he describe the pleasure he takes in reading in the book.  4) Growing up means channeling your frustations towards something productive - when Holden visits Mr.Antolini, he borrows this quote from Wihelm Stekel. "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."  5) Beauty is rare, and worth holding onto - though Holden often is unhappy with his interactions with others, he does cherish the company of his chosen mentors, his close friends and his family. He also values books and museums, and other means of preserving special  and beautiful moments.

             Perhaps the greatest theme of the novel involves the relationship between the pain of actual experiences and the equally devastating numbness that comes with shutting down emotions in order to avoid suffering. Holden, it seems, is in the throes of an existential crisis. Another theme is love and sex, Holden is a deep, sensitive soul, but he has this suspicion that every relationship he have eventually deteriorates. Even in the presence of a prostitute, he can not think only in sex, he want to have a conversation in the hope of feeling some glimmer of human affection with her. Loss of innocence is a theme when Holden realizes that maturity entails its loss, greater knowledge of oneself and others and the circumstances all comes with a price. Innocence goes with idealism and a certain inability or unwillingness to accept the harsher reality. Holden labels almost everyone a phony, in his eyes, is a person who embraces the superficial demands of the world and tries to make something out of nothing. Holden understand one of the most profound truths of life: superficial matters little because it will not last.
              New year`s Day 2019 would have been the 100th birthday of J.D.Salinger. It`s a milestone worth celebrating because Salinger`s literary voice remains young. Salinger is no longer as popular as he once was, but with the passage of time, his impact has become clearer. From Sylvia Plath`s The Bell Jar to Frank Conroy`s Stop Time.
                 January 2019, marked what would have been J.D.Salinger`s 100th birthday. Salinger died in 2010, having secured his place in literary history and American culture in 1951 with the publication of his novel The Catcher in the Rye. The work was a bestseller, and changed the way many young readers felt about literature. The book endures as a popular, commonly studied work of literature. The novel is still widely taught in high school classrooms. Though sales estimates vary, recent figures suggest that has sold over 68 million copies in its lifetime.