J. D. Salinger's uncollected stories and the development of aesthetic and moral themes in 'The Catcher in the Rye'

Aesthetic and moral directives present in the twenty uncollected stories that precede publication of The Catcher in the Rye suggest that the novel can be read as a war story and/or a comment on the genre of war stories. As such the stories exhibit a particular "aesthetic morality" that condemns to the "phoniness" of movies, especially war movies. Clues that suggest Catcher was written as an alternative to a more straightforward war story include soldier characters that prefigure and resemble Holden Caulfield in voice and mannerism and an overall aesthetic-moral philosophy regarding the negative effects of war stories. Other topics of discussion include "the movies," the link between compassion and familiarity with death, phoniness, and the power of music.