The sixties saw the simultaneous mass marketing of the "hep cat" and perceived disallusionment with the status quo.
I think that began in the 50's as the men who came home from WWII and Korea starting working in movies and TV.
The latter 60's were a direct result of the Pill, the Viet Nam War, and drugs.
I'm glad to see "Catcher in the Rye" receiving negative reviews. While the writing style is good, often close to poetic, the deeper implications of the book (especially when given to adolescents) are rancid -- that a 16-year-old cannot survive in society because it abandons him, sexualizes him (the advances of his homosexual teacher) and finally dumps him in a mental institution.
While this is a viable cautionary tale for parents not to ignore their kids, it's a terrible book to give to impressionable 14-year-olds who will identify with Holden's schizophrenia.
I started questioning this book for students when my H.S. freshman son had to read "The Collector." A competently-written, but lurid and grotesque book. To what end? To tell kids we are all held captive to a depraved world?
They can get that from "Will & Grace."
Holy crap! Some english teacher assigned the Collector!?!
Knowles isn't as bad as that one book -- i.e. the Magus, French Lt's Woman, etc. etc. (also lurid etc.) but kinda interesting. But it's not a high school book. Go and beat that teacher with a stick immediately!
To all -- sorry had to run out on errands. No opportunity to answer all the responses...