"The Catcher in the Rye": Tone

       I finally have finished the well-known classic, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger!  After my book discussion over the second section of the novel with my group, it became very clear that the characterization of Holden Caulfield made the work frustrating and even undesirable.  As I continued this piece of literature, I kept waiting for there to be some sort of mind boggling twist, and unexpected turning point.  My group and I even compared The Catcher in the Rye to be similar to Napoleon Dynamite, because of the lack of a concrete plot line.  However, having completely finished the work and actually had time to think about the final events of the story line, I have a differing opinion of the literature.  When Holden's uneasy behaviors cause him to drift from place to place, he ends up at the house of a dear teacher, Mr. Antolini.  Mr. Antolini "was a pretty young guy... and you could kid around with him without losing your respect for him..." (Salinger, 174).  While chatting with Mr. Antolini, Holden's atrophy becomes the topic of discussion.  Mr. Antolini's turn from being the young, cool teacher to a firm adult occurs when he speaks to Holden saying, "This fall I think you're riding for- it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind.  The man falling isn't permitted to hear or feel himself hit rock bottom.  He just keeps falling and falling" (Salinger,187).  This complete change in tone allows the reader (well, at least it did for me) to see that Holden's struggle is something that he really is not even aware of.  Holden's unstable mental condition is digging him into a hole that doesn't even know he is in.  Later on, in this discussion, Mr. Antolini suggests that Holden keep record of his troubles so that maybe one day, someone can learn from his story.  And this is exactly what The Catcher in the Rye is.  Holden Caulfield is merely telling his story. "It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement.  And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry" (Salinger, 188).  Although Holden's record is frustrating and sometimes difficult to understand, it is life, his story, nothing more.  I think if I were to write a novel about my own life, it would not have an incredibly big twist or dramatic ending.  It would just carry on with various events, some good and some bad.  For anyone willing to read this fantastic piece of literature, it is key to have an open mind, accept the history of the matter, and simply read the story of Holden Caulfield.

"The Catcher in the Rye": Characterization of Phoebe

     Nearing the end of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden, after days of pointlessly wondering the dreary sides of New York City, Holden Caulfield decides to return home.  Here, I meet Phoebe Caulfield, Holden's saving light.  Even from the beginning, Holden talks Phoebe up to be the most amazing and down to earth child there is.  After meeting here character, I find she truly lives up to Holden's lengthy and incredible descriptions.  Phoebe is unbelievably mature for age, enthusiastic, intelligent, unique, and witty.  Phoebe clearly seems to be Holden's most trusted member of the family.  When Holden sneaks into his household to see his sister, the audience also learns what Holden means to Phoebe.  Upon breaking the news of his expulsion from Pencey, Phoebe repeatedly tells Holden that "Daddy's gonna kill you" (Salinger, 166).  Although this greatly agitates Holden, I see that Phoebe wholeheartedly is concerned for what Holden's future holds.  After leaving the house, Holden decides to pack up his bags and start anew somewhere in the West, seeing his family only in the distant future.  But, first, Holden must say one last goodbye to Phoebe.  When Phoebe appears at the museum with her bags, I think that Holden is really affected that Phoebe wishes to go West with him.  I predict that Phoebe cannot bear the fact of Holden being forever lost out West by himself, and that is why is decides to go with him.  Upon seeing the Phoebe packed for his own personal journey, Holden becomes vivid.  Holden's anger stems from the idea of someone disrupting his plans for a life of solitude.  Overall, it is Phoebe that persuades Holden to stay and New York and not give up on the life placed before him.  If not for this bright, young girl, Holden Caulfield would be far out West.

"The Catcher in the Rye": Connections

     In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, we all know, at this point, Holden Caulfield is one with an extremely troubled mind.  After being kicked from school to school, surrounded by those he cannot quite relate to, and spending his money on meaningless subjects, Holden finds himself aimlessly walking the streets of New York completely alone.  Over time, I wonder where the true source of Holden's problem began.  As I read on, I honestly think the death of Holden's brother, Allie, has affected him in ways that he does not even realize.  In the beginning of the novel, Holden reveals various details about Allie saying that he "got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine...He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent.  He was terrifically intelligent.  His teachers were always writing letters to my mother, telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like Allie in their class...But it wasn't just that he was the most intelligent member in the family.  He was also the nicest, in a lots of ways..." (Salinger, 27).  Clearly, than younger, Holden idolizes his brother Allie, and remarks him as a unique and innocent individual.  Since his death, Holden must possess some sort of guilt for being given the chance to live, when his terrific brother did not.  This guilt has taken Holden down a downward spiral that he does not even realize is occurring.  In Holden's moment of despair, he turns towards his perfect brother and asks Allie to "don't let me disappear" (Salinger, 198).  Later, Holden tells Phoebe he likes Allie, and that he wants to be the catcher in the rye, preventing people from falling over the edge.  Holden likes this idea because Allie could possibly be the only person that Holden could catch from falling into the corruption of the world.  Holden obviously idolizes his deceased brother, and feels the pains and guilt of his loss.

"Catcher in the Rye": Irony

     Throughout the classic work, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, main character, Holden Caulfield feels encased in a world of "phonies".  Moreover, these phonies are those who put on a mask to be accepted by the world, and then make themselves seem better than they actually are.  Honestly, I admire Holden for recognizing the facade worn by many to cover their faults, but can he unveil his own.  Looking back at past and present events, Holden Caulfield is a phony himself.  For example, Holden rambles endlessly about his extreme loathing of show business, which includes phony movies, plays, and actors.  But, in his boredom, Holden invites Sally, when he "didn't even like her much", to see a play starring "a bunch of phonies" (Salinger, 124).  So being hypocritical, Holden invites a girl, merely for her appearance out to see a movie.  I assume that Holden has not come to the realization that he is not being true to himself, just harsh and judgmental of others. Almost every page contains the phrase, "it made me feel depressed", therefore, Holden see sadness in his world, but cannot find the source of his own depression.  Clearly, this troubled adolescent is not truly happy and content with himself.

"The Catcher in the Rye": Comparison

     

Holden Caulfield walking the streets of NewYork alone.

Throughout my time spent blogging about the classic The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, I honestly cannot help, but think of a similar, yet more modern piece of literature.  Stephen Chbosky's Perks of Being a Wallflower also tells of the personal struggles of an adolescent boy.  Truthfully, in my last blogs, I, working quite fast, would write "Charlie", then have to go back and change the writing to read "Holden".  The two both endure an intense sense of isolation though they are physically surrounded by many people.  Charlie uses thought to not participate, while Holden watches people and makes his own judgments.  Moreover,  Holden recalls a football game and says, " 'I remember around three o'clock that afternoon I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill... You could see the whole field from there, and you could see the two teams bashing each other all over the place... You could hear them all yelling' " (Salinger,23).  So, Holden, is strictly watching the game from afar rather than connecting with those at his school.  The two teenagers know who they want to spend time with yet struggle to fulfill that wish.  Charlie enjoys hanging out with the outsiders of the school, but often finds himself inexperienced and naive to their behaviors and activities.  With Holden, he is always finding company with people who give him the time, such as the women in their thirties, the stripper he hires, the taxicab drivers, and the numerous"phonies".  But, the two admit how depressed the world makes them, which is what ultimately linked the two together for me.  All in all, although in different times, both Charlie and Holden are faced with similar teen issues.

Charlie from Perks of Being a Wallflower

"The Catcher in the Rye": Motif~ "You"

     Throughout the piece of literature, The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the particular motif of the term "you" is woven through about every incident that Holden encounters.  For example, upon hearing someone laugh while walking through the streets at night, Holden says, " 'New York's terrible at night when somebody laughs.  You can hear it for miles.  It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed' " (Salinger, 70).  Moreover, Holden uses "you" to describe how one may feel in a certain situation.  But, in reality, Holden is depressed and lonesome.  There is no doubt in my mind that Holden uses the term "you" to account for how he actually feels about a particular situation.  I believe, because Holden repeatedly fails to confront and conquer his problems, he also cannot own up to his personal feelings about matters.  Also, when thinking back to his joyful days with Jane Gallagher, Holden says, " 'You never even worried with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not.  All you knew was, you were happy.  You really were' "(Salinger, 66).  Because Holden lives a very unstable life, I predict it is not easy to recall himself as being completely happy.  So, Holden uses "you" to tell his story, without having to forget his current gloom and admit he actually was happy.

"The Catcher in the Rye": Analogy

    In the classic novel, The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield journeys through the streets of New York repeatedly asking his taxi cab drivers the question, " 'What happens to the ducks in the winter?' " (Salinger, 82).  Although this question riles the drivers up, one particular driver discusses the matter more so than others.  The driver eventually makes a statement about the fish living underneath the ducks and says, " 'If you was a fish, Mother Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she? You don't think them fish just die when it gets to be winter, do ya?' " (Salinger, 83).  I reasoned that this statement could be making a comparison between Holden and the fish, frozen in the pond.  See, Holden feels like no progress is occurring in his life, after being thrown out of four schools.  The ducks on the pond symbolize all the people in Holden Caulfield's life.  Moreover, these people come and go, and Holden, always staying the same, never quite understands where exactly they go.  The icy winter that freezes the fish represents the depression and sadness that seems to consume Holden.  Like the fish, Holden is trapped in a world that keeps changing around him.  This driver, I believe, is foreshadowing that, in the end, Holden will overcome his obstacles and be alright.