Another JD Salinger Essay, Research Paper

J.D. Salinger’s youth and war experiences influenced his

writings. J.D. went through four different schools for

education. He then went to World War II. After the war, he

had a lot to say, so he wrote down his thoughts. And, he

sure had some things to say.

Jerome David Salinger came into this world on January 1,

1919. J.D. was short for Jerome David. Jerome David went

by J.D. when he was young and he never let go of the name

as he got older. J.D. was born in New York City, New

York (Ryan 2581).

J.D. Salinger’s parents were Sol and Miriam Salinger (Ryan

2581). His father, Sol Salinger, was born in Cleveland,

Ohio, and is said to have been the son of a rabbi. However,

Sol drifted far from orthodox Judaism to become an

importer of hams.

Sol married a Scotch-Irish lady (French 21). The lady’s

name was Marie Jillich. She changed her name to Miriam to

fit into her husband’s family (French 21).

Jerome David had a roller coaster marriage record. He was

allegedly married to a French physician in 1945 and

divorced her in 1947 (Ryan 2581). But other sources say

that Salinger has never admitted this marriage and the

records of the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics fail to

indicate that a divorce was granted in that state in 1947 to

Jerome David Salinger (French 26).

He then married Claire Douglas on February 17, 1955.

Claire Douglas was a Radcliff graduate born in England. In

1955, the two of them settled down in Cornish, New

Hampshire, where they raised two children (Unger 552).

J.D. divorced Claire Douglas in October 1967 in Newport,

New Hampshire (Ryan 2581).

In 1932, the time J.D. should have begun high school, he

was transferred to a private institution, Manhattan’s

McBurney School. There, J.D. told the interviewer that he

was interested in dramatics; but J.D. reportedly flunked out

within a year (French 22).

In September 1934, his father enrolled him at Valley Forge

Military Academy in Pennsylvania (French 22). In 1935,

while attending Valley Forge, J.D. was the literary editor of

Crossed Sabers, the Academy Yearbook. Salinger’s grades

at Valley Forge were satisfactory. His marks in English

varied from 75 to 92. His final grades were: English 88,

French 88, German 76, History 79, and Dramatics 88. As

recorded in J.D.’s Valley Forge file, his I.Q. was 115. While

such scores as J.D.’s must be treated with caution, this one

and another one of 111 that he made when tested in New

York are strong evidence that he was slightly above the

average in intelligence, but far from the "genius" category. At

Valley Forge, Salinger belonged to the Glee Club, the

Aviation Club, the French Club, the Non-Commissioned

Officer’s Club, and Mask and Spur (a dramatic

organization) (French 22). While at Valley Forge, Salinger

began writing short stories, working by flashlight under his

blankets after official "lights out" (French 23). In June of

1936, J.D. graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy

(French #2 15).

In 1937, Salinger attended the summer session at New

York University. He attended the Washington Square

College campus of New York University. There is little

documented about J.D.’s attendance at New York

University. Shirley Blaney, a high school student, and the

only person in the world to ever interview J.D. Salinger, said

that it appears unlikely that Salinger attended New York

University for two years (French 23).

In 1939, Salinger returned to New York after traveling to

Vienna and Poland for a year, to enroll in Whit Burnett’s

famous course in short-story writing at Columbia University.

According to Ernest Havemann, "Burnett was not at first

impressed with the quiet boy, who made no comments and

was interested primarily in play writing; but Salinger’s first

story, "The Young Folks," which he turned in near the end of

the semester, was finished enough to use in Story, edited by

Burnett" (French 23).

When the war began, Salinger wrote to Colonel Miltion B.

Baker, at Valley Forge Military Academy, that he wished to

enter the service, but had been classified 1-B due to a slight

cardiac condition. J.D. asked what kind of defense work he

might do; but it was not long before Selective Services

standards were lowered enough, so that he was drafted in

1942 (French 24).

In September of 1942, there was a letter announcing that

Jerome David was attending the Officers, first Sergeants,

and Instructors School of the Signal Corps. So in

September of 1942, Salinger was in the war (French #2

15).

During the first part of his military service, Salinger corrected

papers in a ground school for aviation cadets, probably in

Tennessee. While in Tennessee, J.D. was classified with the

rank of Staff Sergeant. J.D. was in Tennessee until June 2,

1943 (French 24).

At the end of 1943, Salinger was transferred to the

Counter-Intelligence Corps. While at the

Counter-Intelligence Corps, J.D. was also corresponding

with Eugene O’Neill’s daughter Oona, who after J.D. left

her, became Mrs. Charlie Chaplin in Hollywood. In 1944,

J.D. had additional Counter Intelligence training at Tiverton,

Devonshire, England (French 25).

J.D. entered the war when he joined the American Army’s

Fourth Division that had landed on Utah Beach on D-Day,

June 6, 1944 (French #2 15).

Also in 1944, Salinger participated in five campaigns in

Europe as special agent responsible for the security of the

Twelfth Infantry Regiment. While at the Twelfth Infantry

Regiment it is noted that Salinger met Ernest Hemmingway

when the author-correspondent visited Salinger’s regiment. It

was then that Salinger became disgusted when Hemmingway

shot the head off a chicken to demonstrate the merits of a

German Luger (French #2 16).

The Catcher in the Rye is a deceptively simple, enormously

rich book whose sources of appeal run deep and complexly

varied veins (Unger 553). As of 1966, Catcher in the Rye

had sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States

(Vertical/Biography 7).

As of 1966, Franny and Zooey shot to second place on the

best -seller list (Vertical/Biography 7). This book was two

stories. "Franny" was first published in the New Yorker,

January 25, 1955. "Zooey" was first published also in the

New Yorker, on May 4, 1957 (Ryan 2581).

The book Hapsworth 16, 1924 was published under the

circumstances in which Salinger had agreed to publish, "at all

bespeak a secretiveness verging on misanthropy"

(Vertical/Literature 51). The company that published the

story was an entirely obscure company, Orchises Press in

Alexandria, Virginia. In this novella, "Salinger reintroduces

us to the illustrious, eccentric, and Andst-ridden Glass

family" (Vertical/Literature 51), with its parents and seven

children, once famous as radio whiz kids (Vertical/Literature

51). The family’s first appearance was in "A Perfect Day for

BananaFish." In this book, the main character’s brother

Buddy, who is younger by two years and was with him at

the camp, purports to have just received the letter, 41 years

after it was written, in a package from their parents

(Vertical/Literature 51).

J.D. Salinger’s youth and war experiences influenced his

writings. Those two items alone were enough to say that

Jerome David Salinger led an interesting life. And the third

item, his writings, was something that he had many of. But

because of his war experience, maybe he was left scared,

causing him to become a loner. Only one person has ever

interviewed Salinger.