Catcher In The Rye And 1950S Television

Essay, Research Paper

J.D. Salinger? s novel The Catcher in the Rye depicts life in the 1950ss as seen through the eyes of a disillusioned adolescent. There is a huge difference between the life of a existent 1950s household and that of a typical household portrayed through the telecasting situation comedies of the twenty-four hours. The Catcher in the Rye is filled with illustrations that demonstrate how different existent societies are.

In the 1950ss, quaint and perfect households dominated telecasting home-life. The female parent or? house-wife? on telecasting was ever perfect. She would ever wear a housedress, frilly apron, and four-inch high heels, all this along with her perfect make-up and hair. You could ever number on your Television ma to be up at the cleft of morning to do your breakfast. It would typically dwell of eggs ( cheery side up, of class ) , sausages, bacon, toast, orange juice and of class, the fresh, shrieking hot pot of java for Television pa ( we? ll get to him subsequently ) . She would ever hold the paper ready on the kitchen tabular array for pa and the childs? ( we? ll get to them excessively ) tiffins would ever be ready. When it came clip for the kids to travel off to school, and pa to work, mom would ever be waiting at the front door. She would give the kids their tiffins and a buss on the cheek and give pa his briefcase, a batch on the lips and a fond moving ridge adieu.

Real life mas were ne’er rather that perky. For case, when Holden was on the train he bumped into Ernie Morrow? s ma. She had been to a party, entirely no lupus erythematosus, which was a no-no for Television female parents. ? She had these orchids on, like she? vitamin D merely been to a large party or something. ( 70 ) . She struck up a conversation with Holden and he proceeded to lie to her about her ain boy. Liing that much was non something you would hold probably seen really frequently on Television in the 1950ss. Holden? s female parent seemed to hold a life outside of the place, excessively. ? They won? T be home till really tardily, female parent said. They went to a party in Norwalk Connecticut. ? ( 210 ) That indicates that she was in fact non place. Through the many episodes of? Leave it to Beaver? , it is just to state that the Cleavers ne’er went to a late party in another province and left the Beav at place.

Television pas were really distinguished concern people, with unrevealed professions. The Television pa would ever be in his suit and tie at the kitchen tabular array, coat and all. He ever had the same B

riefcase and ne’er brought anything to work that exceeded the burden of his briefcase. When pa got place from work his thought of comfy vesture was a frock shirt, frock slacks, tie and, of class, a jumper. With his flushing paper in manus, he would illume a pipe and fix to cover with whatever? state of affairs comedy job? his kids were sing.

In world, male parents weren? T ever the perfect business communities. Though Holden? s pa was a well-established attorney, Jane? s measure pa was a rummy. ? Her female parent and male parent were divorced. Her female parent was married once more to some boozehound. ? ( 42 ) . Problems such as divorce and alcohol addiction were things that were ne’er dealt with in 1950ss situation comedies.

The childs were possibly ( in the words of Holden Caufield ) the phoniest in the genre of 1950ss telecasting. The kids on Television would travel to school every twenty-four hours. They besides got into laughably, everyday jobs like non listening in category or sometimes a small more earnestly: acquiring stuck in the cup of a java hoarding mark. They ever went to bed on clip and played every athletics absolutely.

During the 1950ss existent kids had more serious jobs, like being kicked out of expensive homework schools. ? So you and Pencey are no longer one. ? ( 237 ) , indicates that Holden? s go forthing Pencey seemed to be a large job for him. ? Daddy? s gon na kill you. ? ( 214 ) However, he merely shrugged off his sister, Phoebe? s warning. Another thing uncommon among telecasting childs was the thought of traveling out and acquiring rummy. ? G? dark, G? dark, Sally babe. Sally sweetie, darling, ? I said. Can you conceive of how intoxicated I was. ? Now, I haven? T seen every episode of? Leave it to Beaver? , but I? m reasonably confident that Wally ne’er went out to NewYork tardily at dark, got rummy, and called his ex-girlfriend. Although, I could be incorrect.

As one can see the? existent? 1950s and the? Television? 1950s were really different ; merely as Holden? s life in the 1950ss was really different from the life of the Beav. Holden? s life was non perfect, his life was really hard at times. Bad things happened to him, and unluckily his female parent was non perfect, she was human. There was a babe roar and Rock and Roll was born ; War was ramping in Korea and immature work forces and adult females were traveling over to contend, some were ne’er coming place. Veterans from World War II were place and seeking to do a life for themselves and their households.