The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye- J. D. Salinger

Author/Context:

Jerome David Salinger was an American writer born in 1919. Many events foe Salinger's early life appear in The Catcher in the Rye. For instance, Holden Caulfield moves from school to school due to expulsion. Salinger had moved schools and had trouble fitting in. The Catcher in the Rye was published on July 16, 1951. In a 1953 interview, Salinger admitted that the novel was 'sort of' autobiographical, stating, "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book ...It was a great relief telling people about it."

Brief synopsis:

Set in the 1940s. Sixteen year old Holden Caulfield is narrating a story which takes place in the few days between the end of the school term and Christmas. Following his expulsion from the elite 'Pencey Prep school', Holden experiences New York for a few days. The Novel is less based on a riveting plot line, but the first person voice of Caulfield, and his opinion on anything and everything. This insightful yet unreliable voice of Holden Caulfield, struggles with identity massively throughout the novel. The last chapter reveals to the reader that Holden ended up in a mental hospital undergoing treatment.

Characters:

Holden Caulfield- 

Sixteen year old, Six foot two, a heavy smoker, looks to be around thirteen, despite his head of grey hair (seems both too young and too old for his age).

Robert Ackley-

Holden's neighbour at Pencey. 18 years old, and would always remind Holden of their two year age gap. An annoying guy, seems to hate everyone yet likes to hang around Holden, even when he is not welcome.

Stradlater-

Holden's roommate at Pencey. Ladies man, very confident, handsome (although Holden hates to admit it), 'Madly in love with himself'. 'Secret slob'. Goes on a date with Jane Gallagher, which Holden resents.

Jane Gallagher-

A girl who lived near Holden and played checkers with him. She had a 'lousy childhood' and Holden cares for her very much hence the amount of worrying he did whilst she was on a date with Stradlater.

Sally Hayes-

A girl Holden's gone on a few dates with. He thinks she is attractive, but she can be 'phony' (Holden's favourite term of abuse). Asks her to run away with him. Doesn't like her for her personality, more for the sake of company.

Mr Antolini-

A favourite ex-English teacher of Holden's. Stays at his house for a night, but runs away after being woken up by Mr Antolini stroking his head, proclaiming it was 'pervy'.

Phoebe Caulfield-

Holden's younger sister, very intelligent young lady. Holden and Phoebe share a mutual respect and care for each other. Holden eventually visits her, and when he wants to run away, she packs a bag to go right alongside him.

Allie Caulfield-

Holden's younger brother by two years. Died of leukaemia, which had a huge effect on Holden, smashing all of the windows in his garage. Had bright red hair, was always happy, 'never got sore'. Incredibly intelligent for his age, wrote poems all over his baseball glove.

 

Extract:

Holden has this day dream about his fight with Maurice:

"But I'm crazy. I swear to God I am. About half-way to the bathroom, I sort of strated pretending I had a bullet in my guts. Old Maurice had plugged me. Now I was on the way to the bathroom to get a good shot of bourbon or something to steady my nerves and help me really go into action."

 "As soon as Maurice opened up the doors, he'd see me with the automatic in my hand and he'd start screaming at me, in this, very high pitched, yellow-belly voice, to leave him alone. But I'd plug him anyway. Six shots right through his fat hairy belly."

Holden is engrossed in this illusion of what he could be like or do. His preoccupation with this implies his longing to be someone else and possess a different life other than his current lonely, boring life. He wants to escape the world he lives in and has an idyllic interpretation of the nature of this escape. This is identifiable with many young people and seems typical of a teenager wanting a different life. Yet, even Holden acknowledges his differences from the normal teenagers mind-set with the repetition of 'I'm crazy'.

Themes:

• Alienation. Holden starts off being isolated, as all of his peers are at a football game, and he is looking down at them.
• Loss. The root of Holden's problems comes from the death of his younger brother, Allie.
• Lies. Holden makes up all sorts of names and personalities when meeting new people, he seems to be hiding from his own identity.
• Loneliness. When Holden arrives in New York he just wants to call somebody but nobody is available to call, truly because he has no real friends due to his isolation of himself. Throughout the novel he talks to strangers, but nobody who stays in his life.*
• Unrealistic dreams. running away with Sally Hayes to live in a cabin and presuming everything will go his way. Also the fantasy of rescuing young kids before they run off a cliff.
• Immaturity. Not applying himself in school and asking Carl Luce many questions about sex.
• Rebellion. Holden does not want to play by society's rules and become 'phony'.

*Holden tries to have a wealth of conversations with strangers, a lot of the time pretending to be somebody else. The strangers he converses with:

1. Mrs Morrow: Ernest's Mother.
2.  Horowitz: a cab driver.
3.  Faith Cavendish: A girl whose phone number Holden's gotten from a friend.
4.  Bernice, Marty and Lauren: Three women from Seattle that Holden meets in the Edmont Hotel bar.
5.  Maurice: A pimp.
6.  Sunny: a prostitute.
7.  Two nuns: converses with them in a sandwich bar.
8.  A girl in Phoebe's class.

Links to Struggle for Identity:

• General struggle for identity: Holden is not knowing who he is or who he wants to be. He seems to have some psychological issues, or is he just having an intense battle with himself about life and how it is to be lived.
• Age struggle: Looking both old and young, being both mature and immature. Thinking about the future and finding your identity, and hiding from that.
• Sexual identity: Every woman is seen in a potentially sexual way for Holden. Has the dilemma of sex. Wanting to lose his virginity with someone he really likes or someone he doesn't really care for. His curiosity about this.
• Challenge to all identities and society: everybody is phony and society accepts that and produces more phony people mindlessly.
• Religious struggle: Being an Atheist. Stating that his father 'quit' being catholic, like it is a job.