The Catcher in the Rye: How does this novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting?

The Catcher in the Rye takes place in the late 1940’s or the early 1950’s. I think this book is very excellent at reflecting its time period. There are actually several instances that are very accurate to the period and setting. For example, early on in the novel, Holden goes to a bar and socializes with some women. He eventually asks them to dance with him, and mentions doing the jitterbug with them.(Salinger pg. 72) The jitterbug was actually an extremely popular dance at the time that Holden lives in, and dancing was a common way of enjoyment , and was much different than the dancing we enjoy doing today. In that same bar, Holden messes around with the girls and tells them that he thought he saw Gary Cooper on the other side of the dance floor! (Salinger pg. 74) Gary Cooper was a renowned American film actor, mostly known for his Western movies and romantic comedies at the time, and was involved in over 100 films.(Gary Cooper) He was very well known in the early 1940’s and 1950’s, and many watched and enjoyed his movies. Another example of how this novel reflects history is when Holden purchases a very hard to get record for Phoebe for five dollars (Salinger pg. 116). This reveals two things. One is the fact that that today we don’t use records anymore, but in the 40’s and 50’s they were very common and that was all they had to play music. The second thing I noticed was how Holden said the record was very, very hard to get, and that they charged him five dollars for it, which he makes out to be a lot of money. Back then, five dollars WAS expensive, but today, it’s nothing. No one feels empty pocketed if they spend five bucks. It’s not a lot today. Another thing Holden says reveals the time period yet again. He says his brother D.B  was in the Army for four years, and then says, “He was in the war too—he landed on D-Day and all—but  I really think he hated the Army worse than the war.” (Salinger pg. 140) D-Day was the day when the United States army attacked Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. (I know that from taking 20^th Century history with Mrs. Crossland!) His brother was there on D-day, and though Holden mentions being “practically a child”, it was still in his generation, further reflecting the time period this novel takes place in On the more social issues of the time, it shows how easy back then it was for prostitution to thrive, and for young people like Holden to get access to drugs and alcohol. Behaviorally, it shows that the youth back then struggle with the same things the youth of today struggle with.

"Gary Cooper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 July 2012. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Cooper>.

 Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.