J.D. Salinger’s literary works were heavily influenced by his early life and military service. Before his time in World War II, he attended four different schools. However, after the war, he utilized his writing as a means to express and convey his thoughts and ideas.
Jerome David Salinger, commonly known as J.D., was born on January 1, 1919 in New York City, New York (Ryan 2581).
J.D. Salinger was brought up in Cleveland, Ohio by his parents, Sol and Miriam Salinger (Ryan2581). Sol Salinger, born to a rabbi, deviated from orthodox Judaism and chose to work as an importer of hams.
Sol married Marie Jillich, a woman of Scotch-Irish descent who changed her name to Miriam to blend in with her husband’s family.
Jerome David had a tumultuous marriage history. In 1945, he supposedly married a French physician, but that marriage ended in divorce in 1947 (Ryan 2581). However, contrary to this claim, some sources state that Salinger never acknowledged this marriage and the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics has no record of a divorce being granted to Jerome David Salinger in that state in 1947 (French 26).
He married Claire Douglas on February 17, 1955.
Claire Douglas, an English woman and graduate of Radcliff, settled in Cornish, New Hampshire in 1955 with her spouse. Together, they raised two children (Unger 552).
J.D. ended his marriage to Claire Douglas in October 1967 in Newport, New Hampshire (Ryan 2581).
In 1932, J.D. was supposed to start high school. However, he was instead sent to a private institution called Manhattan’s McBurney School. During an interview at McBurney School, J.D. expressed his interest in dramatics. Unfortunately, J.D. failed his classes and had to leave after just one year (French 22).
In September 1934, J.D.’s father enrolled him at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania (French 22). During his time at Valley Forge, J.D. served as the literary editor for Crossed Sabers, the Academy Yearbook. His grades in English at Valley Forge ranged from 75 to 92, with a final grade of 88. His other final grades were: French 88, German 76, History 79, and Dramatics 88. According to J.D.’s Valley Forge file, his IQ was recorded as 115. Although it is important to approach IQ scores with caution, this score and another one of 111 that he obtained during testing in New York provide strong evidence that he was slightly above average in intelligence but not classified as a “genius.” While attending Valley Forge, J.D. participated in various clubs and organizations such as the Glee Club, Aviation Club, French Club, Non-Commissioned Officer’s Club, and Mask and Spur, a dramatic organization (French 22). It was during his time at Valley Forge that Salinger began writing short stories. He would work on them under his blankets using a flashlight after official “lights out” (French 23). In June of 1936, J.D. graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy (French #2 15).
Salinger’s attendance at New York University during the summer session of 1937, specifically at the Washington Square College campus, is not well-documented. However, according to Shirley Blaney, the only person to ever interview him, it seems unlikely that Salinger attended NYU for two years (French 23).
In 1939, Salinger came back to New York after a year of traveling to Vienna and Poland. He returned to enroll in Whit Burnett’s renowned short-story writing course at Columbia University.
Ernest Havemann states that Burnett was initially unimpressed with the quiet boy who showed more interest in playwriting. However, Salinger proved himself with his first story, titled “The Young Folks,” which he submitted at the end of the semester. This story was deemed good enough for publication in Story magazine, where Burnett served as the editor (French 23).
Salinger initially expressed his desire to serve in the military to Colonel Milton B. Baker at Valley Forge Military Academy when the war started. However, due to a minor heart condition, he was classified as 1-B and unable to enter the service. He inquired about what defense work he could still contribute. Eventually, in 1942, the Selective Services standards were lowered, leading to his drafting (French 24).
In September 1942, Jerome David received a letter notifying him of his enrollment in the Officers, First Sergeants, and Instructors School of the Signal Corps. Consequently, Salinger was actively participating in the war at that time (French #215).
During the initial phase of his military service, Salinger held the position of correcting papers at an aviation cadet ground school, likely located in Tennessee. Throughout his time in Tennessee, J.D. held the rank of Staff Sergeant until June 2, 1943 (French 24).
At the close of 1943, Salinger was moved to the counter-Intelligence Corps where he also exchanged letters with Oona, Eugene O’Neill’s daughter. Oona eventually married Charlie Chaplin in Hollywood after Salinger ended their correspondence. In 1944, Salinger underwent further Counter Intelligence training in Tiverton, Devonshire, England (French 25).
J.D. joined the American Army’s Fourth Division and entered the war when they landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944 (French #2 15).
Additionally, in 1944, Salinger served as a special agent in Europe, where he played a crucial role in ensuring the security of the Twelfth Infantry Regiment during five campaigns. During his time with the regiment, Salinger had the opportunity to meet Ernest Hemmingway, who was visiting as an author-correspondent. However, Salinger was deeply disturbed when Hemmingway killed a chicken by shooting its head off to showcase the effectiveness of the German Luger (French #2 16).
The book The Catcher in the Rye is both deceptively simple and enormously rich, appealing to a wide range of readers (Unger 553). By 1966, it had sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States (Vertical/Biography 7).
According to Vertical/Biography 7, Franny and Zooey reached number two on the bestseller list in 1966. This book consisted of two stories. The first story, “Franny,” was initially published in the New Yorker on January 25, 1955. The second story, “Zooey,” was also first published in the New Yorker, on May 4, 1957 (Ryan 2581).
The novel, Hapsworth 16, 1924, was published in peculiar circumstances marked by Salinger’s agreement to publish, displaying a secretive nature bordering on misanthropy (Vertical/Literature 51). Orchises Press in Alexandria, Virginia, an entirely obscure publishing company, was responsible for releasing this novella. Within its pages, Salinger reintroduces the illustrious, eccentric, and anxiety-ridden Glass family (Vertical/Literature 51), consisting of parents and seven children who were once renowned as radio prodigies (Vertical/Literature51). This family was first introduced in the story “A Perfect Day for banana fish” and in the book, the protagonist’s brother Budd, two years his junior and alongside him at camp, claims to have recently received a letter that was written 41 years ago, delivered in a package from their parents (Vertical/Literature 51).
J.D. Salinger’s life was shaped by his youth and experiences in war, which in turn influenced his writings. These three elements – his youth, war experiences, and writings – compose an intriguing narrative of Jerome David Salinger’s life. Perhaps his traumatic war experience instilled a sense of fear within him, leading to his seclusion from society. It is worth noting that Salinger has been interviewed by only one individual.
