Catcher In The Rye Lack Of Love

Holden’s loneliness and lack of love continues throughout the novel. Holden has been wearing a red hunting cap every day, asking the cab driver what happens to the ducks in the central park lagoon during the winter and even attempting to pick up girls. As part of picking up girls, Holden meets a young lady named Sally Hayes. As he wanders around town, a boy coming out of church is singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye” and Holden stops and wonders what that could possibly mean. Later in that day the date did not go so well and Holden decides to run away again, but he couldn’t possibly leave without saying goodbye to his sister Phoebe. She then convinced him to go back to the Museum of Art the following day. When the time came

Salinger conveys Holden as a character who is not afraid to speak the truth. As part of not being afraid to speak the truth, adults look at Holden as if he is crazy. Teenagers, many times, feel that adults look at them the exact same way as they see Holden. Like Holden, they pose certain traits and experiences that adults will never fully comprehend, but that does not keep them learning new skills and taking journeys in life down a new road. The lesson taught from Holden remains lasting, classic and extremely important: Sometimes being different is not such a bad thing. On page 104 of the book, Holden thinks about suicide, “I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would’ve done it, too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn’t want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory” (Salinger 104). Here Holden emphasizes his entire philosophy of life: He does not want to keep himself alive, but he wants to help keep those around him alive and is willing to strive through their pain. Although Holden likes to be somewhat different from others, there is still a side of him that makes him want to try and fit in with everyone around him. He understands that, in life, you go through certain scenarios that you may not like just in order to fit into society. This statement that Holden makes expresses the fears and worries of some adolescents because they

Each one of us has our own Catcher in the Rye within us; it is just how we express it that makes us all different. Castronovo expresses how the book is for the age of anxiety and conformity based upon all of Holden’s adventures in life. He also uses Holden as an important figure by the phrases he says and the actions he takes by preferring more of a symbolic action or a dramatic scene compared to reasoning with things.

Ghasemi, Parvin, and Masoud Ghafoori. "Salinger and Holden: Silent Heroes of Modern Times." K@ta 13.1 (2011): 19-36. ProQuest. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

Ghasemi and Masoud’s article suggests the popularity that rests precisely on two bases: that he was the writer of one literary bible of the young generations to come and that he was resentful toward the publicity brought by this novel. This essay focuses on Salinger’s view on life: social and critical responses. Ghasemi and Masoud are representing Salinger by using his writing to bring out his inner hero and self-confidence. This essay will help me with portraying how one character, no matter what the age, can make a difference in someone’s life through their emotional journey in life.

Kazin, Alfred. "Everybody's Favorite." The Atlantic Monthly 208.2 (1961): 67-75.