Book Analysis - The Catcher in the Rye

As a student at the cusp of graduation, feeling all of the angst that builds somewhere in the abdomen before freefall, I can say that I deeply relate to Holden Caulfield as a character. Allow me to clarify, however. I feel that Holden is the embodiment of a student of ill character, but at times, and with the same level of hyperbole he is known for, I fit and even aspire to his level of cringitude. Though better judgment implores me to refrain, Holden is the personified embodiment of our most lost selves, prone to argue, complain, and quit when the going gets too tough.

As trivial as we might make adolescent problems out to be, they are of monumental importance to adolescents. To us, the brand of jeans that one wears to school is hardly a concern. Nor is the tidy nature of our living space. But for Holden, whose primary guiding emotion in all that he does is disgust, how he looks around Sally Hayes, and whether Ackley cuts his "goddam crumby nails over the table" is of extreme importance. Holden's insistence on self-reliance and his capacity to lie signals a problem as overseers of children and teenagers whether they have their own best interests in mind. Holden's confident diction would prove that he probably is a good liar, and I must admit that when I first read this book in high school, I believed most of what he said; however, as a man approaching middle age, I can testify of the same insecurities that bring most of the bullshit that Holden says into a glaringly self-cynical light.

The book has been criticized by many different school boards and frequently gets rejected in public classrooms because of its use of profanity and seemingly promoting rebellion. Without the proper supervision of an adult mining into subtext and context, a student would be liable to get this impression, because the narrator is a peer. Nevertheless, with the aid of a teacher with adult insight and a seasoned ear for deception, students would be well-equipped to see the book as it really is: a satire on angst.

As often as Holden likes to pretend like an adult, he also falsely flaunts his lack of direction as a badge of honor. While aimlessly traveling on public transit, he ogles an older women during which he offers this pitiful insight, presumably to an older actually sexually-active male: "Women kill me. They really do. I don't mean I'm over-sexed or anything, although I am quite sexy." It's lines like that that, when pointed out to youth, are flagrant examples of poseurism.

The novel is a wonderful example of adult media about children. It plays out very well, as the type of children's media that ought not go unsupervised for fear that the rich and sardonic thematic material might be mistaken for being of a serious nature. It truly s a shame that this book is lambasted by administrations who judge it on its adult substance, when in fact it presents bounteous lessons that would be mostly helpful to youth in their youth.