"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.