Catcher In The Rye: A Modern Day Holden Caulfield

    Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher In The Rye, feels that he needs to protect people around him, because he failed to protect his brother Allie from death. Holden feels that he has to care for those close to him. He watches over Jane, Phoebe, and even Mrs. Murrow when he meets her on the train. Holden tries to shield these people from distress. He does not want to fail anyone else.

It takes many experiences in order for an immature child to become a responsible, well-rounded adult. In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger’s main character Holden Caulfield matures throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Holden is a juvenile young man. However, through his experiences, Holden is able to learn, and is finally able to become somewhat mature by the end of the novel. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s story represents a coming of age for all young adults.

In the book, “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden Caulfield has many conflicts and life lessons. Throughout the story the author, J.D. Salinger, creates events that make the main character realize that in life people change and grow. The message behind the story is let children grab the “gold ring” and you can’t always be the catcher in the rye. All of the things that make Holden who he is have many resemblances to the life of the author, J.D. Salinger.

J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye features a complex narrative surrounding a troubled young student, Holden Caulfield. Difficulties he faces throughout the story force Holden to confront his fears of adulthood and maturation and the responsibilities therein through the difficulties he faces throughout the story. Academic controversy surrounds whether Holden learns from these confrontations and adjust accordingly, maturing throughout the story. While initially this seems rather subjective, a thorough analysis of Holden’s actions throughout the story as well as of the symbolism injected by Salinger makes it quite clear that Holden does undergo a significant maturity arc as the story progresses. Holden’s social development and maturation

One of the greatest American Literature writers, J.D. Salinger, was familiar with a rough childhood by experience. He was able to parallel his experiences to the experiences of Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in Rye. In this novel, Holden experiences conflicts that most youth are not familiar with. The conflicts in Holden Caulfield’s life are caused by various forces and circumstances.

American poet May Sarton once said, "Everything I've ever written is to understand something, some idea, some emotion". This idea lends to understanding how the autobiographical story telling of Holden and Dave helps them achieve some semblance of therapy. Though “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” exists as an acknowledged memoir, Holden Caulfield still gives his story through a first person lens, making his story every ounce as autobiographical as Dave’s. Because the relationships that Dave and Holden cultivate over the course of their stories do not exist as entirely successful ones, it that makes the relationships they have with themselves all the more important. In an essay discussing the irony in “Catcher in the Rye”, author Privitera says, “The irony of Holden is that the harder he tries to keep his family and friends at arm’s length, the closer he comes to making unexpected discoveries about them and even himself.”

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever your felt like it.” (pg 25) J.D. Salinger writes in his book, “The Catcher in the Rye”. However, what makes this quote so interesting in this novel is that, for many people over the past 60 years, J.D. Salinger is that author to them when they read his novel. To everyone who has read the book; the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a character we can relate to on a spiritual level. Anyone can understand Holden’s thoughts and actions because the character talks directly to the reader. Unlike some other stories, when reading “The Catcher in the Rye”, the reader doesn’t feel like a third party, but rather more of a close friend accompanying the character. Unintentionally, we converse with J.D. Salinger through the story, and slowly understand what his thoughts and feelings are. It’s a powerful book, and it’s owed to how J.D. Salinger developed the characters, and

J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye was a phenomenal book about Holden who is our main protagonist. Throughout his interactions in the novel, Holden Caulfield did not meet his expectations of astonishing encounters instead Holden was disappointed and rejected by the people he would meet. It can be argued throughout the story that these interactions and confrontations would change Holden's mood with the person he is talking too. His mental state would also change towards certain people and did not treat the people the same. Such as his confrontations with children would have been more subtle than those with adults.

Holden Caulfield plays a timeless character in the sense that his way of life is common for the American teenager, in his time as well as now. Today parents dread the terrible and confusing adolescent years of their child's life. In J.D. Salinger's book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is in this terrible and confusing point of his life. At this point in his life, as well as in modern teenager's lives, a transition occurs, from child to adult. Holden takes this change particularly rough and develops a typical mentality that prevents him from allowing himself to see or understand his purpose in life.

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon of the Beatles was shot and killed outside of his apartment complex in New York City. The man who shot Lennon, Mark David Chapman, was found just a few feet away from Lennon’s body, reading The Catcher in the Rye. Unbecomingly, Chapman used the book as his excuse for murdering Lennon. In court, Chapman used the novel as his statement and even signed his copy of the novel as “Holden Caulfield,” the novel’s protagonist, believing himself to actually be Caulfield. Because of this, John Lennon and the book will be eternally connected. However, Lennon’s death is not the only parallel to be drawn between Holden Caulfield and Lennon; the similarities between Holden and Lennon are almost uncanny. Their views on religion are virtually identical; and if they were to be switched, one would be unable to distinguish one from the other. Among other things, the two both suffered from very significant losses in their families, Lennon having his mother die and Caulfield, his younger brother. Both of these events seriously shaped their views on life and their behaviors. Lastly, they both dealt with rejection throughout their lives; Holden feels rejected by just about every person he meets and John Lennon’s father left him when he was only five years old, which later proves to be an emotionally crippling event in his life. In all, Holden and Lennon share a mutual fate in their similarities and will be forever connected by the horrendous act against Lennon in

Holden views people and the world differently than others. Holden Caulfield is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Holden’s view of people affects his relationship with people. In the novel of The Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden considers everyone he meet or met to be a phony. The only people Holden doesn’t think of as a charlatan is his sister Phoebe, his formerly friend Jane Gallagher, and the two nuns that he met during his journey. Holden furthermore has trouble with communicating with the outside world because he essentially shuts down, by sorrow from his departed brother Allie.

He feels misunderstood and the understanding he so craves is found through the story of struggle in Holden Caulfield. “Chapman first read Catcher when he was sixteen, Holden's age in the book. Like Holden, Chapman loved children... Between spells of Christianity and Satanism, Chapman returned to the Holden Caulfield character.”(Mark David Chapman). This identification with Holden is something not uncommon in society due to resonating with younger more vulnerable readers “When I first read the book, I was younger than the character, and he seemed mature and kind of glamorous, what with all the walking around Manhattan alone, the casual drinking of alcohol, and the making of plans. I'm more than twice his age now, and glamorous and mature are probably the last words I'd use to describe him.”(Lyons). Although as seen in the quote above most people outgrow the glorification of Holden Caulfield, but people with psychotic tendencies are often frozen in time once an obsessive fixation is formed, so they cling to the misguided morals of the main character. This inability to move on from impact of Holden’s disturbed mindset is seen in John Hinckley Jr., Robert Bardo, and Mark David Chapman, who all murdered someone or at least attempted to. A more striking similarity is that they all shared the favorite book of The Catcher in the Rye and had it on them during the time of the execution of their crime. With

Many authors put their own life as inspiration towards their works and characters. J.D. Salinger’s character development of Holden Caulfield has been affected by Salinger’s complications in his school life, devastating past relationships, and overwhelming traumatic events during his pre-The Catcher in the Rye adulthood.

When the mind protects itself from outside pain it uses multiple defense mechanisms according to Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytical Theory.In J.D.Salinger’s novel, The Catcher and the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, is shielding himself from all outside experiences that cause pain to his inner psyche. Holden has many repressed memories, and as a result, he shields himself using the mechanics which are in the Psychodynamic Theory also written by Sigmund Freud.When the book begins Holden does not introduce himself like most typical Novels about people's life, instead, he knows what the reader wants. According to him the reader “...will probably want to know

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is faced with multiple “phonies” that divert him from those he really holds affection for. Throughout the novel Holden shows disgust for certain characters but his ability to build relationships of intimacy are most eminent. Through Allie Caulfield, Holden is able to make a more personal connection. Seeing as how he is now dead, Allie is a savior in the eyes’ of Holden when he is in the time of need. Phoebe Caulfield, Holden’s ten year old sister, shares similar tastes with Holden earning his respect as well as his time, allowing Holden to show affection to her more than any other character. Jane Gallagher although never physically present in the novel holds a special place in Holden’s heart, his first love. Through Jane, Holden is able to experience things that his brother and sister couldn 't give him, earning her his ability to show affection. With the struggle between adolescence and adulthood, Holden Caulfield, of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, finds himself through the relationships he builds with Allie and Phoebe Caulfield as well as Jane Gallagher.