J.D. Salinger and the moral wounds of war

Abstract

This paper examines Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye for some insight into a soldier's psychological reactions to prolonged exposure to combat. Salinger was a heroic survivor of some of the worst battles on the Western Front, starting with landing on the beaches of Normandy and ending with the Nazi surrender. He is also an example of how the experience of war effects young men who fight in it. Salinger was very reluctant to talk about his wartime experiences except with others who shared the same experience, as is common among combat veterans. The author of this paper believes that clues to the impact of the war on Salinger can be found, in disguised form, in his writing, especially in Catcher, which Salinger worked on throughout the war, and for 6 years after it. This paper also looks at the nature of the “moral wound” now of much interest and where that wound may be located in the psyche.