Similarities Between 'Catcher In The Rye And Prep'

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Recommended: The various aspects of coming of age that the main character experiences in The Catcher in the Rye

They say not to judge a book by its cover, as what is on the inside is more important than what is on the exterior. As a human race, one of the first things done is jumping to conclusions about people without knowing them thoroughly. The novels, The Catcher in the Rye and Prep by J.D. Salinger and Curtis Sittenfeld respectively, both portray this theme. Although the books do this in a different manner and convey different messages through this basic lesson, they both provide validity to the statement with realistic events occurring to teenagers. Sharing similarities in plot, the Washington Post makes a comment connecting the two protagonists saying, "Holden Caulfield would love this heroine." Holden and Lee, the male and female protagonists …show more content…

Salinger develops the story with the narrations by Holden Caulfield, a male teenager who gets kicked out of private school and struggles emotionally with different aspects of life. Throughout the narration and the flashbacks for Holden, it is evident that he pays close attention to detail and makes conclusions about people based on their behavior. The first example of this is of the alumni member, Ossenburger who his dorm was named after. Despite not knowing him personally, Holden talks about him and how he imagines him to be. "You should see old Ossenburger. He probably just shoves them in a sack and dumps them in the river. Anyway, he gave Pencey a pile of dough, and they named our wing alter him. The first football game of the year, he came up to school in this big goddam Cadillac, and we all had to stand up in the grandstand and give him a locomotive--that's a cheer... made a speech that lasted about ten hours...That killed me." (Salinger 16) Through this part of the narration, Holden reveals his perception of people by their actions. He noted that Ossenburger started off with corny jokes, and how he was using his money for attention. Holden does not perceive the usage of Ossenburger's money as effective and worth the attention. He does not think money should have an effect on rank or social status. Holden's opinion of Ossenburger shows his value against materialism. He does not appreciate the usage of money to gain power, or to be used in negative ways. He would rather have friendships and relationships based on personality

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    Over the years, members of the literary community have critiqued just about every author they could get their pen on.  One of the most popular novels to be critiqued has been J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.  In favorable critiques, Holden Caulfield is a good guy stuck in a bad world. He is trying to make the best of his life, though ultimately losing that battle. Whereas he aims at stability and truth, the adult world cannot survive without suspense and lies. It is a testament to his innocence and decent spirit that Holden would place the safety of children as a goal in his lifetime. This serves to only re-iterate the fact that Holden is a sympathetic character, a person of high moral values who is too weak to pick himself up from a difficult situation.

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    ...people are slim, and if he does, they usually end up in conversations that become hostile. The reason he fails to make contact with most people is nearly his own fault. He is also finding the wrong things to say to people. If he can't find someone to talk with, it's often as much his fault as that of the people he meets. The only person he has managed to have a decent conversation without lying and becoming hostile is with his sister Phoebe. The reason is that he adores her so much because she adores him. As with Sally Hayes, he does not like the way she acts and believes that she is a "phony" even though he remains civil towards her. In all, Holden Caulfield is faultfinding, choosing to like only those who fall under his careful standards and disliking those who do not. His attitude towards women will change only if he decides to change the way he view them.

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