A story of a frustrated boy navigating his adolescence, J.D. Salinger was all but accidental in the telling of Holden Caulfield’s adventures, carefully curating a seamless thread of relevance into today’s day and age.
A time of rebellion, angst, raging emotions, and feeling wildly misunderstood by the world, adolescence is a universal experience that traverses all of time and nations.
A memorable time lived by every passing generation, what could be more relevant than a 234 page book on it?
Adolescence is where responsibility, all of a sudden, knocks on our door uninvited, and spotlights blind us as time ticks and life decisions wait patiently to be made. Like a volcano spitting out fiery balls of lava, it is an entirely inevitable event we all must face—and it is not easy. Holden Caulfield offers insight into these emerging adults, humanizing them for the world to see into their struggles.
Holden deals firsthand with serious internal and external conflicts including depression, where he quickly labels any situation he finds unappealing as ‘depressing’ or ‘phony’, bringing down his mood considerably in a cyclical manner. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is a mental disorder that affects approximately 20% of teenagers. An alarming number, seeing these experiences and issues reflected similarly in our literature is a valuable tool that can contribute to the navigation and exploration of ourselves and our personal journeys.
Throughout the story, Holden experiences the ups and downs of coping with depression as well as simply growing up and leaving his childhood behind as he decides his place in the world. For example, early on Holden escapes his school for New York City, running away from all his friendships, education, belongings, and essentially his identity. In doing so, Holden learns that there is little comfort in running away from your problems and wandering lonely through a dangerous city, as he encounters alcohol, prostitutes, and predators that jeopardize his safety several times.
These treacherous experiences also contribute to the loss of his innocence, presenting another part of what adolescence comes to be. The very title, The Catcher in the Rye, represents Holden’s desire to rescue and ‘catch’ children from falling off the cliff into adulthood, losing their innocence in the process. An analogy that can be applied to the modern day, we live in a world where there is a need to grow up faster than ever. This fast-paced way of life may be largely due to social media, where unrealistic expectations become more easily accessible and globalized.
Moreover, a perfect interpretation of the dangers of materialism and consumerism that has only increased since the 1940s, The Catcher in the Rye encapsulates how we blind ourselves with possessions, social status, and prestige. When meeting a group of Ivy League students, Holden notes their shallow and arrogant attitudes as they pay little regard to people of less education or other social groups. This book serves as a reminder to prioritize ourselves, our relationships, and our general well-being over items or ranks we may acquire.
On another hand, The Catcher in the Rye has attracted significant controversy.
Containing mature and arguably inappropriate topics deemed ‘unfit’ for American schools, in 1960 a teacher from Oklahoma was fired over her assignment of the book to a class. While critics suggest the material is flat-out racist, sexist, and offensive in many ways, it is important to acknowledge context and the degree of accuracy to the time period. A significantly different environment to the one we see today, it is important to learn of previous ways of life, such as Holden’s, ultimately allowing students to learn valuable lessons and widen their perspectives of the world and of history.
A piece of literature made to reflect the pressure teenagers face to this day, The Catcher in the Rye perfectly demonstrates the social issues that have existed for centuries in our society. While Salinger adopts a sincere and direct tone, it is vital we recognize and learn from Holden’s experiences to better ourselves as humans.
