Catcher in the Rye Essay: Themes of Society and Growing Up

Themes of Society and Growing Up in The Catcher in the Rye In reading J.D. Salingers novel, The Catcher in the Rye, one is compelled to have a very strong reaction to the contents of the give-and-take. Whether that reaction is negative or positive, it is unquestionable that the reader will give the novel a second horizon after reading it. There could be many reasons why this novel has such an impact on the readers. It may be the use of Salingers catchy bank phrases, bitingly sarcastic and usually negative, grabbing the attention of the reader. Another possibility is Holden, the novels subject and lead character. He describes everything as phony, is constantly in search of sincerity, and represents the first belligerent of adolescent angst(Belcher). Or, it could be the originality of the perspective the book takes on the popular theme of the right of pass senesce and the experience of growing up. Most likely, it was the overall tone of the book that incorporated all of these fac tors and combined them to form an inventive story line with a believable plot. Holden Caulfield, described in the book as around age sixteen, is a classic antihero type full of negative opinions, rarely a gentleman, not but the best looking boy in his prep school, except somehow deserving of some sympathy. Holden is a character who is said to be motivated by his hormones and his own personal opinions alone. Unfortunately for him, both of these aspects of his character oft get him into trouble. However despite all of this, Holden is a character that most teenagers preserve to in many ways because his feelings are genuine and problems easy to relate to. When studying a piece of literature, it is meaningful ... ...d he was confused like everybody else. There is a line in the book where Holden actually says I dont exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it. One wonders how the author could get away with saying something like that, but and so one realizes that in actuality i t is refreshingly different and almost a relief. The theme of the novel was a message about society and growing up. For Holden and for many others, it is likewise much to ask to live in a world where you have to catch yourself before you fall. Works Cited Belcher, William F., and Lee, James E. J.D. Salinger and the Critics. 20th Sept. 1999 http//kirjasto.scifi/salinger.htm. Davis, Robert Con, ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 56. Detroit Gail enquiry Inc., 1989. Stevenson, David. J.D. Salinger The Mirror of Crisis. The Nation, Vol. 184, No. 10, March 1957, 215-17.