Literary Qualities
If The Catcher in the Rye merely detailed the awkwardness of a young adult growing up, it would still be valuable. But Holden’s periodic allusions […]
Month: January 2009
Social Sensitivity
The Catcher in the Rye has been charged with three major failings: excessive and unrealistic use of foul language; its obsession with a character whose […]
Topics for Discussion
1. Holden constantly uses the word “phony” to describe people, events, and popular culture such as movies. What does he mean by this word and […]
Ideas for Reports and Papers
1. Compare and Contrast Holden and Huckleberry Finn. How does their adolescent inexperience permit their creators, Salinger and Mark Twain, to assert moral values? 2. […]
Related Titles
Salinger’s other important books, all of which were published after The Catcher in the Rye, deal with a more extensive family than Holden’s: the Glass […]
About the Author
Joseph Heller was born on May 1, 1923, in New York City, and grew up near the Coney Island amusement park. His parents, recent Russian […]
Themes and Characters
The protagonist of Catch-22, Captain John Yossarian, is motivated by two closely related impulses: to subvert the repressive military establishment and to survive. His desperate […]
Literary Qualities
Catch-22 both absorbs and parodies a variety of literary genres. Given the book’s fragmented chronology, episodic structure, and caricatured characterizations, some critics have objected to […]