Catcher In The Rye

Author J.D Salinger

For English class we are reading "The Catcher in the Rye". This story is a very intriguing one. For those who have read it, know what I mean, but for those who haven't read it, I will give a brief summary. I must warn, however, that the part I did not like about the book is the language that is used on occasion throughout the whole story.

This story is told by Holden Caulfield, a young teen boy who behaves a little beyond his years at times. He is your typical "troubled" kid. He is a loner, disregards authority, and he has an attitude that turns people away from him. He is afraid to let anyone close to him, so he builds these walls around his personality so people will stay away from him. He figures this is the only way to protect himself from getting hurt. Everyone he loves ends up leaving him in one way or another, and he wants to prevent that from happening again. You also see his quest to find a balance between innocence and maturity as he struggles with over compensating for his age and many a times acting like a fool.

The interesting parts of this book is the fact that he is telling the story from a mental hospital and the fact that you get to see his growing deterioration throughout the book. Set back in the 1950's, the story still relates to today's youth in their troubles facing life. Holden has severe depression and is socially awkward. He doesn't know how to talk to girls the right way, nor does he know how to treat friend. He is somewhat stuck in the past when it was a much easier time. He moves from school to school, but eventually ends up in the streets of New York trying to survive.

This book, despite the language and sexual references, has one of the best stories I have read, and I read a lot.It is a little hard to follow, but once you get into the mind of Holden Caulfield, it makes you question what is really the line between sanity and insanity.