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A Closer Look at The Catcher in the Rye
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me” (Salinger 3). One can see from the first line of The Catcher in the Rye that this is going to be an interesting novel with attitude. The first line introduces the main character’s attitude and his sense of verbal expression. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a great American novel because the main character searches for an easy way to enter into the world of adulthood, the interaction of the characters is entertaining, and the author’s life is reflected in the book.
The novel hints that Holden Caulfield is searching for an easy way to enter into the world of adulthood. Holden Caulfield is a confused teenager living in the big city of New York. In the beginning of the book Holden introduces himself to strangers using different names. “ May I ask your name, dear?” asked Mrs. Morrow. “Rudolf Schmidt,” I told her. I didn’t feel like giving her my whole life history. Rudolf Schmidt was the name of the janitor of our dorm” (Salinger 71). He explains his behavior simply by saying that he does not feel like telling his whole life story, so he just makes a new identity. (Miller 298) People would say that he might be searching for self-identity. Holden’s chief fault might be implied that it is his failure “to connect.” He hates lies and phoniness, yet these are his own sins in reality. He is quick to pass severe judgments on others, but he is not so quick to see faults in himself. (Seng 203)
Another quality that Holden has to make it appear that he may be searching for a way into adulthood is through his fantasies. He imagines himself living all alone in a cabin in the far west pretending to be a deaf-mute (Seng 205). Holden once dreamed about being the only adult in a group of young children, catching them all from falling off of a cliff one by one, calling himself the “catcher in the rye.” “Both of these fantasies, the “catcher” and the “deaf-mute” are related in one desire: a wish to escape from an adult world with which Holden feels that he cannot cope” (Seng 205). His mental breakdown is a direct result of his inability to come to terms with adult reality. Holden is bothered by the fact that the world is about adults and adult values. He sees that the world belongs to adults, and they have filled it with phoniness and lies. Holden would rather a world with truth. (Seng 205)
The interaction between the characters is entertaining. “She put her arms around my neck and all. She’s very affectionate. I sort of gave her a kiss, and she said, “Whenja get home?” She was glad as hell to [next page]