Catcher in the Rye

In the book, Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caufield, the main character is a negatively charged person, doesn't want himself or others around him to grow up, and suffers from depression because of his brothers death. This is obviously Holden's way of alienating the entire world and delaying the consequences of facing reality. Alienation is a big theme in Catcher In The Rye, and something that Holden depends on most often.

Holden Caufield is a negatively charged character as expressed on the first page of the book before Holden tells his opinion about his childhood. He says, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like..." (Pg. 1) Holden shows here that he was negative and depressed even in his childhood years which is mainly due to his brother, Allie's death. Holden's alienation toward the world is what causes these unwanted character traits of Holden's. Holden is also a hostile character who attributes his negativity to block out others around him, and to delay the fact that he indeed will have to face reality sometime.

Holden's pattern of speech, the constant expression of negativity, is a character trait Holden possesses that shows the inner pain he feels. Holden truly shows that he does not want to grow up and he does not want other children to grow up either. Holden believes that all adults are phonies, like Principal Thurmer. Holden hates phonies ...