Literature’s Lyceum: Lessons for Contemporary Life in the Catcher in the Rye and the Old Man and the Sea

Abstract

Noted social commentator Mark Bauerlein has provided an important critique of youth culture in the contemporary Western world. In this work, I situate Bauerlein’s critique in the context of English literature, diagnosing the intersection of his thought and the core themes in two classic works of American literature: The Catcher in the Rye and The Old Man and the Sea. Re-centering these two works in secondary education can help to address the concerns Bauerlein diagnoses. This in tun can contribute to a revival of great literature as a lyceum for contemporary life.