Why "The Catcher in the Rye" is Better Than You Think

The title page of The Catcher in the Rye.

The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most controversial books of all time. Many people who have read the book have vastly different opinions on it. Some hate the book, finding the main character to be “whiny” and judgmental, while others relate to Holden and the theme of not wanting to grow up.

This book is about a teenager named Holden Caulfield. In this story, he is both the narrator and the main character. What I mean by this is that the story takes place in the span of a few days and explains the events that happen after Holden is expelled from preparatory school. These events are being told by Holden in the future, as if the book is not written by Salinger but by Holden himself. In these few days we will learn why he was expelled; about a death in his family and, most importantly, we learn a lot about his views on the world.

While I personally do not agree with the people that hate the book I do understand where they are coming from. I do not agree with everything Holden says and does but I do think he’s a good character. I believe if you can understand why Holden is angry at the world, you can then begin to like him more as a character. To do this we need to understand the historical context of this novel, more specifically what it is like to grow up in its set time period.

Holden often feels that the world is against him throughout the book, and I think he is right. Throughout the book Holden is shown to be struggling with depression and possibly other undiagnosed mental illnesses and because of this time, he nor anyone else would be able to know that this is completely normal. He even thinks in the book that this is just a phase, not knowing that these kinds of things people can struggle with for years. Sadly for Holden, he is not able to understand his problems and get the help he needs.

Illustration of Holden Caulfield by Martu Gemi.

Another reason why Holden is right about how the world is against him is because, in this time, society begins to change dramatically with the end of World War Two. As a person at this time, especially a young adolescent like Holden, you need to be able to adapt to these changes—otherwise they will work against you. In this time, it is thought that you do only your work and keep moving forward, regardless of your struggles. People do not care about how you feel, they just expect you to do what your told and adapt with the changes in society.

I do not agree with this way of thinking. I believe that it is too strict, and that people's health and lives are more important than their work ethic. That kind of pressure is a lot to put on a young adolescent, and I believe that is why Holden feels the world is against him.

A final complaint many people have about this book is that the plot is boring. Many people say that it has no purpose and doesn’t lead to anything. I personally find the plot has a very important purpose and is not boring. The book's plot helps enforce the novel's core theme, the loss of innocence and growing up. Telling a story about a boy who has suffered the loss of a family member, who has been kicked out of preparatory school, and who struggles to find a place in society is a wonderful idea for a story.

This is because almost everyone growing up will experience one of these things at some point and zooming in on just these few days in Holden’s life showing how he feels and reacts to these things can help to show the younger readers what it is like to grow up. But it can also help to show people struggling with these issues that they are not alone in how they feel.

A remake of the title page made by Adam Curry.

I believe that this novel has a great example of a teenage character struggling with growing up too soon and fearing the loss of his innocence. I believe that this novel can also help to show people the struggles that come with growing up and how to deal with them. Not by doing exactly what Holden does, as sometimes you should probably do the opposite. But I believe he can still be a great example. Those are some of the main reasons I love the novel, and why I believe it has become a timeless classic.

At the end of the day, I really enjoy this novel and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a new book to read.