We might remember Jerome David Salinger as a man no one really knew. However, we may very well know more about him than we think. To understand Salinger, we must not delve into or invade the privacy he once cherished, but take what is right in front of us and add it up. Looking back at Salinger's past, we find many answers; but what is the question? Well, there is one question I am here to answer, and it is: what in JD's life led to the way he wrote, to what he wrote and why was he so lonely? Born on New Year's Day 1919, to a Jewish son. Solomon Salinger and his Christian mother, Marie, eventually moved on to Miriam, to better fit in with her husband, Jillich's, side of the family. With this, it is safe to say that from his conception, Jerome was already facing an identity crisis. As Salinger grew up, this mixed religious background caused him to question his own social identity and be deeply aware of social divisions and prejudices; Given this, a thought may arise that instantly reminds some of JD's famous literary character Holden Caulfield, who happily called many "shams" and claimed to know a lot about everyone he met. Not only that, but Mr. Salinger also spent some school years as a student in a prep school; the same can be said for Holden Caulfield. With this thought in mind, Salinger had a lot of difficulty getting along in public and prep schools, always reminding us of the critical part of The Catcher in the Rye's plot: Holden getting expelled, and more again, mentioning how constantly irritating his roommate, and the dorm neighbors were. Also like Holden, Mr. Salinger was also born into an upper-class New York family. Both Mr. Salinger......middle of document......and I believe about Mr. Salinger, but in the end all that really matters is what you have learned from this and how your opinion was formed. Just try to keep in mind that maybe, just maybe, Jerome David Salinger wrote what he wrote, was who he was, and lived the way he lived, all because of his past, and how, all in all, God knew it would amount to nothing terrible, at all. Works Cited Author unknown, (January 28, 2010) JD Salinger. The New York Times Retrieved from: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/j_d_salinger/index.html Hochman, Will (September 28, 2000) Dream Catcher: A Memoir. New York: Washington Square Press Retrieved from: http://wac.colostate.edu/aw/reviews/salinger_2000.htmEntertainment Weekly, February 12, 2010 i1089-1090 p28 “JD Salinger.” American Decades. Gale Research, 1998.