Farewell Mr. Salinger

Photograph courtesy of the Washington Post

One month has passed by since J. D. Salinger left this world, but his works and lasting influence remind with the living. This American author leaves behind a collection of works that has touched the lives of readers from across the globe. Whether one considers Salinger’s works to be insightful and brilliant or offensive and valueless (which is a little harsh in my opinion), one cannot deny their influence. From American teenagers to Japanese animators, people are captured by his words in novels such as The Catcher in the Rye. This popular novel, with its themes of teenage alienation and loss of innocence, has struck a chord with its audience and has brought Mr. Salinger widespread fame. However, Salinger seems determined to avoid this fame and became reclusive, moving from New York to Cornish, New Hampshire. He also seems determined to prevent his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, from being made into a movie with interesting reasons (click here for his letter of refusal to a Mr. Herbert). Despite all his efforts, his name and his works have traveled far and wide, and his fame even spread to Japan. In the anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, numerous references are made to Salinger. For example, the main plotline features the Laughing Man, a genius hacker in the futuristic world of Ghost in the Shell, is a direct reference to a short story by Salinger titled “The Laughing Man.” The Laughing Man logo that is used to censor the hacker’s face in the show also contains a reference to Salinger in the form of a quote (see if you can figure out where the quote is from in the picture below). Sorry Mr. Salinger, it seems that you are never far away from anyone, at least in thought. So thank you for your hard work and rest in peace J. D. Salinger.

Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia article

Coming Soon: A reading of an excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye