Catcher In The Rye Setting

There are few definitive setting areas throughout J.D Salinger’s novel, although some entirely more important than others. The time period is somewhere in the later 1940’s, since it is post World War Two era, and as a result Holden occasionally ponders the war and its effect on his brother. The beginning of The Catcher In The Rye involves Holden’s Pencey Prep School, where he is deciphering his choices and planning his own choice of absence. The school itself is rumoured to be based loosely on J.D Salinger’s alma mater Valley Forge Military Academy.The preparatory school is located in Pennsylvania, where the 17 year old protagonist discusses his life choices with a professor before deciding he shall escape to New York, New York instead of returning to his parents to explain his plummeting grades and failure
Holden is hiding away in New York to escape the adult world, he completely despises the idea of becoming grown and feels the need for avoidance. There are a few stops on the way to my personal favourite location of Holden slightly later in the novel, The Edmont Hotel. Holden spends some of his time at the Edmont Hotel, which is in fact an entirely fictional hotel that is not realistically located on 34th and Eighth Avenue as stated in the text. Holden spends the majority of his time here pondering sexuality, struggling to obtain alcohol and seriously debating his entire existence. One of the famous and slightly humorous lines involved in the Edmont Hotel is "Would you care to stop on the way and join me for a cocktail? On me, I'm loaded." (9.10) Holden says this while trying to convince the taxi driver to come have a drink with him because he is so desperate for someone to speak with. Holden is increasing lonely and confused during these sections, finding New York broad and