The Catcher in the RyeBy J .D. Salinger
...onstructs Holden to position the reader to view him as hypercritic and a phoney himself. An example of Holden being a rogue is the train episode, “Then I started reading this timetable I had in my pocket just to stop lying” (page 51) Also Holden’s character has criminal tendencies, without being criminal. For instance when Holden abducts his sister. Salinger creates an atmosphere of underhandedness in which Holden enters the house whilst his parents are absent. A sense of break and enter is created in which Holden is likened to a criminal. Many points within this unique narrative leads the reader to assume or be lead to believe that Holden Caulfield reflects many of the traits of his creator, J.D. Salinger. Firstly, the major point is that Salinger created Holden to be wary of other characters and his surroundings. Just as Salinger has done, Holden planned to travel far away and become a deaf-mute so he didn’t have to communicate with all the ‘phonies’ within the world. “… in a few days I’d be out West where it was pretty and sunny and where nobody’d know me…I’d pretend I was one o f those deaf-mutes.”(page 178) Another example is that Salinger based Holden’s school, Pencey Prep on a Military school he once attended. After publishing this novel Salinger became a recluse and now little is known about him. Is Holden’s three day adventure actually one taken by J. D. Salinger himself? Many issues are raised about growing up within this picaresque novel such as, childhood versus adulthood within this picaresque novel. Salinger has delicately constructed Holden to position the reader to view and understand the pressures a teenage boy undertakes. The major pressures not only effecting Salinger’s character Holden but all adolescents are, alcohol, sex, expectations from parents, teachers and the education system. This detailed text provides a clear and different point of view of the demands placed upon teenagers. Salinger precisely composed Holden to avoid growing up, but still find the need to experiment within the adult world before completely giving up childhood. For example, roaming the New York streets, drinking in bars and hiring a prostitute. Salinger creates Holden to identify all adults as phonies, therefore giving this character a reason to be able to steer clear of taking the leap into adulthood. At the end of the day Holden expresses a desire to be ‘the catcher in the rye’ and protect the children from adulthood. This refers to the poem by Robert Burns where, the Rye represents childhood where as the cliff symbolises the tough journey into adulthood. Salinger suggests that Holden wants to guard the children from the unknowns of adulthood. Childhood equals choices whereas Adulthood equals commitment. Salinger composed Holden to have a tough childhood, so now as he is departing childhood wants to avoid the pain and suffering that he has saw his parents go through as he was growing up. Salinger’s own life experience includes an ‘absent parent’ and one can not ignore the links to his rogue, Holden Caulfield. Salinger uses narrative point of view to connect easily with the reader at a deeper level. Sali...