THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
JD SALINGER
FIRST PUBLISHED : 1951

J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has become, since its publication, an enduring classic of American literature. The novel is a favorite because of its humor, its mordant criticism of American middle-class society and its values, and the skill with which Salinger captures colloquial speech and vocabulary.  

The basic story of The Catcher in the Rye follows the adventures of sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, an independent, self-indulgent, idealistic, and sentimental figure of adolescent rebellion, during a forty-eight-hour period after he has been expelled from Pencey Prep, the latest of three expulsions for Holden. His brother, Allie, died only a few short years before. His growing anxiety about what people will think and make of him when they found out that he failed his academics again, forces him to impromptu decide what action to make. After confrontations with some fellow students at Pencey, Holden goes to New York , to rest before facing his parents. During the trip he tries to renew some old acquaintances, attempts to woo three towners, hires a prostitute named Sunny, and copes with recurring headaches. Eventually, after two meetings with his younger sister, Phoebe, he returns home.

Set in post-World War II, this novel tackles profound things about the psychological and identity crisis young people, represented by Holden, experienced back then as they journey through the reality of life. He is hypersensitive and hyper-imaginative. He is double-minded, inexorably self-critical and refers to himself as yellow, a terrible liar, a madman and a moron. He is driven crazy by "phoniness,” a heading under which he loosely lumps not only insincerity but snobbery, injustice, callousness to the tears in things, and a lot more. 

“When I really worry about something, I don’t just fool around. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. Only, I don’t go. I’m too worried to go.”

The portrayal of the unconscious things in Holden's mind that has been repressed for so long that only just now he finally got the courage to stand and speak about has been very influential in the study of the psychological factors in the story. The representation of Holden as a depressed and rebellious teenager in the story adds up to many things that might be going on inside his head.

“It’s partly true, too, but it isn’t all true. People always think something’s all true. I don’t give a damn, except that I got bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot older than I am- I really do- but people never notice it. People never notice anything.”

The satire not only touches upon the characters’ descriptions and reactions to the world but also touches on the characters themselves. The scene of Holden’s confrontation with Maurice, the elevator operator, shows not only the ridiculousness of the antagonist but also Holden’s stupidity for attempting to reason with him. Even if he does not realize it, Holden does many of the things that he tells readers he hates. He is critical enough, however, to realize that these things are wrong.

Another important aspect to look at, is how the sexuality of Holden has been represented throughout the text. When he stayed for a couple of hours in Mr. Antolini’s house (his former teacher), there is a scene which shows that Holden has a tendency of having a constant fear about the welfare of his sexuality. This is shown when Mr. Antolini touches or pats him in his sleep. Even though it is not intended in the passage if Mr. Antolini really has something in his mind that has something to do with violating Holden’s sexuality, the registration of fear for himself has been very evident on the way he talks and acts towards Mr. Antolini. Unlike before, the respect he has on Mr. Antolini somehow diminishes in an instant because he feels kind of unsafe to the person, he should feel guarded to.

Holden became lonely or bored at certain points in the novel, embarking on a quest for intelligent conversation. Furthermore, Holden’s superiors told him several times in the novel that he was not the first person to feel a sense of angst. Holden’s story just goes to show that not all people deal with the challenges presented by growing up the same way.

One thing which strikes hard is the fact that amidst all the angst and the tension Holden faces, he truly loves his sister Phoebe and decides to save her from the hypocrisy of the society which he himself hates so much.

“If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the "Fuck you" signs in the world. It's impossible.”

The novel continues to shock new readers because of the unconventionality of the writing style, the rough language and the plot. The fact that the author challenges the status quo by his unconventional representation of his main character, Holden. Also, the character of Holden being different and very diverse sets him really apart from the people in the society. He is the embodiment and produce of a system that has been complacent for so long about the standards it set upon the people. Holden makes people realize through his journey that it will never be easy task fitting in the world where everything you do is bounded by rules and standards. 

The Catcher in the Rye is a story that lets its readers just experience and contemplate about the reality of life once more. Just like Holden , The Catcher in the Rye celebrates the importance of living in the moment conscious yet free, and cautious yet ready to try things.