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Life of a Teen in the 1950's
The word Teenager was created in the 1950’s due to the tremendous population of those in this age category and because teenagers started gaining more independence and freedoms. Teenagers were able to buy more things like food, clothes and music because of an increase in spending money.

Teenagers were also becoming more independent in the type of music they preferred to listen to, no more listening to what their parents liked, teens flocked to the new music of the decade, which was rock and roll.

Growing up as a teenager prior to World War II, teenagers were expected to take life seriously. Males were expected to join the military or go out and get a job in order to help bring in money for their family or to take care of their future family.

Females were taught how to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wife and take care of children. Marriage and preparing for a family, more than education or a career, was seen as a definite in the lives of teenagers. Also, teens had very little economic freedom, independence, and input into decision making prior to WWII.

However, in the 1950’s, expectations changed for the teenager. The economy started booming and families experienced a great deal of economic power, freedom and independence, including teenagers.

New medians were created like television and AM radio that attracted teenagers. Also they were able to attend high school dances, create clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles to name a few.

Things were starting to change. In the 1950’s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the depression and a number of wars, and now wanted something more for their children.

This resulted in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course, this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child.

The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say.

Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the 1950’s.

Before the 1950’s, teenagers listened to the music of their parents, but when rock and roll came on the scene teens swarmed to it. Even though teens were able to purchase rock and roll records because they were receiving extra spending money, their parents were opposed to rock and roll music, they despised it, and thought of it as corrupting their children.

This sometimes caused friction, it seemed as if teenagers were becoming more rebellious, defensive, and at times, disrespectful, and that listening to rock and roll was the root cause of all this rebellion.

However, this belief was often exaggerated because parents didn’t understand the newfound independence and freedom that they never experienced. Yet, rock and roll was something new and parents thought it was shocking and terrible. They felt if their children were listening to this dreadful music that the end must be right around the corner.

Although, this wasn’t the case in every household it was in a large number of them. Because parents had never experienced this they thought their children were doomed never realizing it was just a phase and it would be over with once the teen reached adulthood.

Later on this clash became known as the generation gap. Nevertheless, with the help of adults, radio, rock shows, concerts, and TV shows like American Bandstand opened doors for teens in the 1950’s to experience things teenagers of the past never experienced. Despite all of the uproar, teenagers in the 1950’s played a huge part in the rise of rock and roll music.== Life of a Teen in the 1950's ==

The word Teenager was created in the 1950’s due to the tremendous population of those in this age category and because teenagers started gaining more independence and freedoms. Teenagers were able to buy more things like food, clothes and music because of an increase in spending money.

Teenagers were also becoming more independent in the type of music they preferred to listen to, no more listening to what their parents liked, teens flocked to the new music of the decade, which was rock and roll.

Growing up as a teenager prior to World War II, teenagers were expected to take life seriously. Males were expected to join the military or go out and get a job in order to help bring in money for their family or to take care of their future family.

Females were taught how to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wife and take care of children. Marriage and preparing for a family, more than education or a career, was seen as a definite in the lives of teenagers. Also, teens had very little economic freedom, independence, and input into decision making prior to WWII.

However, in the 1950’s, expectations changed for the teenager. The economy started booming and families experienced a great deal of economic power, freedom and independence, including teenagers.

New medians were created like television and AM radio that attracted teenagers. Also they were able to attend high school dances, create clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles to name a few.

Things were starting to change. In the 1950’s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the depression and a number of wars, and now wanted something more for their children.

This resulted in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course, this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child.

The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say.

Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the 1950’s.

Before the 1950’s, teenagers listened to the music of their parents, but when rock and roll came on the scene teens swarmed to it. Even though teens were able to purchase rock and roll records because they were receiving extra spending money, their parents were opposed to rock and roll music, they despised it, and thought of it as corrupting their children.

This sometimes caused friction, it seemed as if teenagers were becoming more rebellious, defensive, and at times, disrespectful, and that listening to rock and roll was the root cause of all this rebellion.

However, this belief was often exaggerated because parents didn’t understand the newfound independence and freedom that they never experienced. Yet, rock and roll was something new and parents thought it was shocking and terrible. They felt if their children were listening to this dreadful music that the end must be right around the corner.

Although, this wasn’t the case in every household it was in a large number of them. Because parents had never experienced this they thought their children were doomed never realizing it was just a phase and it would be over with once the teen reached adulthood.

Later on this clash became known as the generation gap. Nevertheless, with the help of adults, radio, rock shows, concerts, and TV shows like American Bandstand opened doors for teens in the 1950’s to experience things teenagers of the past never experienced. Despite all of the uproar, teenagers in the 1950’s played a huge part in the rise of rock and roll music. "This is the most popular, the most vivid, and probably the most accurate American teenage angst novel there is. It is easy to read, sharp but not pretentious, and only just over two hundred pages long, all of which help explain its steady popularity. As it was published in 1951 and set in New York, it is a real tribute to be able to say that fifty years on it has dated very little. If you think teen culture moves with the speed of light and who can keep up, then this book says 'Not'.

The story is told in the first person, Holden Cauldfield is a Pencey Prep., Agerstown, Pennsylvania, student telling it in a way that holds your attention from beginning to end. The constant 'I' in every other sentence should get you down, but it doesn't. Whether you are a teenager, or you have teenagers, or you just remember being 'like that', his story holds you. He does not know what he wants in life, or why people want what they want of him, or why he does lots of the things he does, or why they do lots of what they do. He has just flunked out of Pencey Prep., just like all his other swanky schools, and he can't figure out what he is going to do. He wanders about the city a lot before he has to go home to face his folks. He dates lots. He drinks lots. He thinks lots. He gets sick. He loves his brothers (one live, one dead) and his sister, he knows whom he likes and whom he doesn't. Mostly he doesn't. He tries not to hate anyone, they can't help it mostly. People aren't all they seem. Some are a lot less than they seem, some a lot more. You can get burned finding out the difference. There are lots of phonies around and that's what he likes least. He tries not to be phoney himself, and mostly he succeeds. He'd like answers to his questions, but by the end of the book he still hasn't found them. And he knows that the adults he has meet never figured it out either, they got older, but they didn't get wiser although they pretend they did. That's phoney. They didn't even get the question, let alone the answer. He still wonders what the point is really." Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar "A teen kicked out of a prep school in the 1950's searches for meaning in New York city over several while coming to terms with his younger brother's death, a sexually charged run-in with a former teacher, and understanding a loss of innocence. " Brittany Webber, Resident Scholar "This book is a backwards-looking stream-of-conciousness styled account written in the 1st person by a young adult male. He describes his being kicked out of yet another prep. academy, and every other issue floating around in his head. It is a story of a boy's growing pains and searching for himself amidst a muddle of thoughts." Letty Flett, Resident Scholar "Holden has been in trouble at more than one school, and this time he knows he's in major trouble with his parents. So one weekend, he takes off from his boarding school in Pennsylvania and heads for New York City without letting anyone know where he is, figuring he deserves a little break before the storm. The story is told entirely from Holden's point of view, revealing what annoys him, amuses him, enthralls him...and why he doesn't bother living up to his parents expectations. It is a coming of age story about a teenage boy who just isn't quite sure where he belongs or how to please the people around him while rebelling against that very notion." Sarrah, Resident Scholar "J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age novel, written from the prospective of the protagonist and first person narrator, Holden Caulfield in the 1950s era. The book details the week long stay in New York of Holden in the form of a flashback. Salinger portrays through the story the theme that growing up can be a hard and difficult experience.

At the beginning of the novel Holden is currently residing in a sanitarium of some kind, at this point the reason for him being there is unclear. Holden attends Pencey Prep school and has apparently failed and suffered expulsion from many similar schools, he has just been expelled from Pencey as well. Upon hearing the news he pays a visit to Old Spencer an elderly teacher of Holden's. Holden is not being expelled because he does not have the capacity to learn or that he isn't smart enough for the prep school environment but that he isn't applying himself as Mr. Spencer puts it. Later on Holden's roommate Stradlater is going on a date with a girl from Holden's past, Jane Gallagher and Holden becomes infuriatingly jealous after a while. Stradlater asks him to write his homework for him and Holden reluctantly agrees. While Holden is writing the composition we learn a significant fact about Holden's family, Holden has a sister and two brothers, one of which has recently passed away, Holden still carries around his baseball glove, on which several poems are written. When Stradlater returns from his date Holden fears that the two have engaged in sexual intercourse and a skirmish soon occurs. Holden is knocked out by Stradlater and then decides to sleep in his friend Ackley. Holden realizes that his parents won't get the news of his expulsion for another week so he decides to spend some time in New York.

Holden rents a room in the Edmont Hotel and observes several odd occurrences in the rooms opposite his including a man dressing into women's clothing and a couple spitting water into each others mouths as an act of sex. Holden smokes in is room for a while then calls Faith Cavendish in an attempt to get her to have sex with him, she declines his offer and wants to meet him the very next day but Holden is too impatient and rejects her offer. After this disappointment Holden goes downstairs to The Lavender Room, a hotel bar and dances with three girls there, Holden believes he can obtain alcoholic beverages from this establishment due to is grey hair but the bartender refuses to serve him. Later on that night, an elevator operator Maurice offers to send a prostitute to Holden's room, he cautiously accepts and is greeted by an intimidating young girl, who reminds him of his own sister. Eventually, Holden decides not to have sex with her and settles for her just sitting on his lap. He pays her regardless but later on Maurice barges in demanding more money. Ultimately Holden is knocked out by him and paces around the room pretending he's been shot in his gut.

The next day, Holden calls up Sally Hays and they go to see a Broadway musical together, he is annoyed when she converses with a previous boyfriend, they later go to ice-skate but Holden annoys her to the point where she leaves. Holden meets a friend he looks up to at a bar and tries to get him to talk about his sex life but he is annoyed and leaves, Holden becomes quite drunk, Holden calls Sally Hays and discusses Christmas plans, and Holden then goes to visit his younger sister Phoebe in his house. Phoebe can tell he is intoxicated and gives him money to support himself, after being urged b his sister to tell his parents that he failed out of school, Holden departs.

A call is made to Mr. Antolini an influential teacher in Holden's life and he attempts to spend the night at his house until being awoken by what Holden describes as a flitty pass, Holden then rushes out and sleeps on a bench in Grand Central Station. When he wakes up he visits Phoebes school and leaves her a message that he is running away. Phoebe later greets him with the intention of going with him to wherever it is he is going but Holden declines. While she rides on a carousel, Holden begins crying and has a mental breakdown. At the very end Holden tells her that he is recovering and will soon be going back to school." Kyle Johnson, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Catcher in the Rye Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High) Plot Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school Something wrong upstairs/downstairs? - searching for identity/meaning Parents/lack of parents problem? - rebelling against parent's expectations Wild kid(s)? - runaway! Loving/sexing? - girl chasing

Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: - student Age: - a teen Eccentric/Mental Yes Eccentric: - emotionally unstable Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American) Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Main Adversary Identity: - society

Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 (a fair amount) United States Yes The US: - Northeast City? Yes City: - New York

Style Person - mostly 1st Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references Lot of foul language? Yes Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - a lot of stream of consciousness Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog

The Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield
--Joshweed (talk) 14:30, 30 September 2009 (UTC)Bold text My name is John Johnson and I am Holden Caulfield’s psychoanalyst. I have a PhD from Stanford University and have been working with teenagers for ten years. However, Holden Caulfield has been different then any other patient I have ever had. Even though Holden and I have had a pretty good relationship it still has taken more than a year for me to get him to open up and tell me anything about his life. Just recently I was able to convince him to do a little free association with me. Once he did open up through the free association activity I found out some interesting things.

I think that the Id dominates the ego with Holden. He does things without really contemplating what the consequences will be. For example he doesn’t apply himself in school because he does not think he needs school. If his ego could contain his id then he would realize that if he ever wants to do anything with his life then he needs to get through school. He also acts impulsively around women like when he is on the train with Mrs. Morrow, the mother of one of his classmates, he begins to act strangely, he said, “’Would you care for a cocktail?’ I asked her.

I feel that Holden has a lot of anxiety because he is afraid to grow up. His nature of anxiety is he tries to avoid anything that makes him feel that he is getting older. Holden uses a lot of projection though out the book as one of his defense mechanisms. “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies. Don’t even mention them to me”(2). He says the movies are phony and so are the people that go to them. Even though he says this he goes to the movies and he has very strong feelings about them. Holden does many things to contradict himself throughout his story. Such as taking Sally to a play even though he says that he does not like them either. He doesn’t want to become like this but he can’t help it, which is why he tries to make it look like all the people around him are the phonies even though he is the biggest phony of them all.

I also feel Holden has a lot of regression which is returning your mind to a state of gratification. “God, he was a nice kid, though. He used to laugh so hard at something he thought of at the dinner table that he just about fell out of his chair”(38). This is just one of the times where Holden regresses and thinks about Allie when he was alive and how happy he was. He regresses about other things that made him happy too. Such as Jane Gallagher and how they use to play together when they were kids. “We’d get into a god dam movie or something and right away start holding hands, and we wouldn’t quit till the movie was over. And without changing position or making a big deal out of it. You never even worried with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or no. All you knew was you were happy. You really were”(79). Feelings like this and when he is having a conversation about Jane with Stradlater “All I know is I got up from the bed, like I was going down to the can or something and then I tried to sock him, with all my might, right smack in the toothbrush, so it would split his god dam throat open”(43) make me think Holden should get back in touch with Jane and try to reconcile what ever relationship they had. Even though Holden never calls Jane he often thinks about calling her during his hard times, which shows she is important to him, but he is afraid that it will be a different Jane Gallagher because she has gotten older, and he will not like her anymore or she will not like him. I still think he should take the risk and try to get her back in his life because although he cannot have Allie back he still can have Jane.

J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" portrays a troubled teen in New York City. Over the few days the novel depicts, the boy displays his critical and unhealthy mindset. Eventually he has a mental breakdown. Through psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield, one may suggest that Allie's death, social development, and an identity crisis are large contributing factors in Holden's mental breakdown.

Allie Caulfield is an important person to Holden and his death affects him greatly. In response to his brother's passing, Holden attempts to recover by using defense mechanisms as a shield against reality. The concept of defense mechanisms strategies for avoiding or reducing threatening feelings such as fear and anxiety" (Strickland 182). While defense mechanisms are normal, healthy coping tools, they have no real goals or aspirations. Even by the end of the novel, he does not express any true dreams for the future, commenting, "A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going to apply myself when I go back to school next September. It's such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it?" (Salinger 213) Holden still does not have any definate ambitions. He may anticipate trying hard in school, but he has no real self-expectations or goals.