The Catcher in the Rye

Title: The Catcher in the Rye
Author: J.D. Salinger
ISBN: 0316769533

Plot Summary: Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from his prestigious prep school for failing all of his classes. Rather than confront his parents with this news, he checks into a hotel, leaving only to visit his sister in secret, confiding in her as he can never do with his parents. After a failed sexual encounter with a prostitute, a disturbing one with a teacher, and another brief outing with his sister, Holden reflects on his current situation, regretting the fact that he cares about his old friends enough to miss them.

Critical Evaluation: The protagonist of this book is one of the quintessential adolescent characters in modern literature, embodying a teenage boy's insecurity, angst, constant questioning of his perceptions and surroundings, sexual awakenings, and attempts to cope with situations that seem impossible. Although his life problems are relatively mild compared to those of teens in more recent novels, the way he deals with those problems is indicative of his trying to find a greater meaning in the world around him. Holden is an extremely unreliable narrator, frequently even doubting his own perceptions, and appears to be suffering from either situational or organic depression; thus, his mental and emotional state are influencing what he chooses to share with the reader. Salinger's skill as a writer lies in getting the reader to sympathize with this rather unsympathetic young man who, for all his bravado about rebelling against "phonies," feels quite lost and alone in the world.

Reader's Annotation: When Holden Caulfield is expelled from his prestigious prep school, he takes the opportunity for serious evaluation of himself, his family life, and the nature of the people who surround him. When he does so, the things he sees in those reflections sometimes disturb him, frequently enrage him, and ultimately make him regret his desire to see old friends and protect the helpless.

About the Author: Jerome David Salinger was born in 1919 in New York. He began writing in high school, and continued to do so both before and after serving in the Military during World War II. In addition to his novel work, he published short stories and novellas, but has not published any more original work since 1965, and has not granted interviews in almost 30 years. Despite his reclusiveness, his personal life has often been marked by controversy, relationship issues, and legal battles, particularly after both his daughter and a former lover published memoirs about him.

Genre: Fiction, Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties: American Literature

Booktalking Ideas:

Hook: Allie's death from leukemia and its effect on Holden.
Approach: Character and plot-based.
Ideas for Booktalk: His parents hate for him to talk about anything related to the family, but it is clear that Allie's death has affected all members of the Caulfield family. Holden the only one who's willing to talk about it, period? Holden refers to his other brother, D.B., as a "prostitute" for having made it in Hollywood. Concept of a sellout. Affectionate towards his sister, feels he has to protect her - from death? Possible tie-in with title phrase/game - wanting to protect the vulnerable from either his or his brother's fate.

Hook: "If a body catch a body comin' through the rye..."
Approach: Scene-based
Ideas for Booktalk: Holden's vision of the "kids" in his story being lost and alone in the world, without any adult supervision and unaware of the unseen "cliff" of danger that awaits him. Himself as the savior of those smaller and weaker than him - possible wish that someone else had done that for him, although some in this book do reach out to him. The nature of the childrens' "game" is only vaguely defined - the only concrete role is Holden's, to prevent them from falling off the cliff if they run without looking where they are going.

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School

Challenge Issues: Offensive language, sexual content, underage drinking, underage smoking.
Holden, a particularly rebellious teen, swears frequently throughout the book, although he does make a few exceptions: there is an entire scene in which he explains his disgust for the f-word. Such use of language is, in my opinion, symptomatic of Holden's general desire to push the envelope when it comes to societal norms. He experiences sexual feelings, but decides not to act on them, and is confused and disturbed by actions from a sympathetic teacher that he interprets as homosexual advances. Holden self-medicates with alcohol and tobacco for large portions of the book, in a place and time where such things were apparently readily available to teenagers. However, it is worth mentioning that these substances, although their use was considered normal for adults, are a symptom of Holden's general malaise, and do not actually serve to alleviate any of his negative feelings. Although many young readers of this book have interpreted Holden's words and actions in these respects as cool and rebellious, it is worthwhile to remind these readers that they do not ultimately make Holden any happier, or enhance his understanding of an unsympathetic world. Thus, although teens and adults alike should be permitted to read this book, it is more likely that those near the older end of the spectrum will have more perspective on Holden's behavior.

Why I Chose This Book: When I first read this book as a teenager, I found the protagonist unsympathetic and overly complaining about situations which, although unpleasant, were hardly insurmountable. Upon rereading it, though, I realize that Holden is quite often simply confused, depressed, and searching for meaning in a world that appears to him to have abandoned the concept entirely. Although his particular brand of angst may appeal more to teenage boys than teenage girls, his general sense of being ill at ease with his world is one to which many teenagers of both sexes can relate.