- Post World War II

- Economy was improving, and people were doing better financially

- The political scene moved toward conservatism

- GI Bill of Rights provided educational and financial opportunities for

returning soldiers

- "Age of suspicion" people were paranoid of communism and that they 

were constantly being watched.

-Cold war and Nuclear Threat: bomb shelters were built in fear that 

the Soviet Union would attack.

-Holden excludes himself from the world and plays himself as a victim.  He doesn’t feel like he fits in with the rest of the world.

-Holden isolates himself by using his red hat as security and hides behind it.  He thinks that by alienating himself that he is protecting himself from the world.

-Holden doesn’t like social interactions and thinks he is unique and therefore somehow better than other people.  In reality social interactions confuse and overwhelm him.