Salinger's Life and Catcher

Like Holden, Jerome David Salinger was raised in a wealthy home, with not so loving parents. The article I read stated that Salinger's grandparents disapproved of his parent's marriage, and it crumbled after that. Salinger had a horrible relationship with his father. He hated his father so much that he did not attend his funeral. Holden was unable to attend Allie's funeral, but he wanted to be there. Holden felt bad for not being there. Maybe Salinger feels guilty for not being at his father's funeral, and that's why he incorporated that situation in his book The Catcher in the Rye. The book is set in New York City, where Salinger was raised. And like Holden, Salinger was kicked out of a prep school. His parents did not tolerate this, and sent him to Valley Forge Military Academy for a few years. He did go to Europe and fought. While in Europe, he also met Ernest Hemingway, and a couple other famous writers. Holden and Salinger enjoy reading, and I feel they share the same view of how they feel about the authors. "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up whenever you felt like it"(18). Maybe Hemingway was a good friend to Salinger. Neither Holden or Salinger can keep a stable relationship. Salinger had a few short marriages, but nothing serious. And I think they share the same view on religion. They were both raised as a Catholic, but they left that and searched for something else. Neither of them found a strong belief. The Catcher in the Rye seems like Salinger's personal diary, and he allowed the world to read it. Salinger went through some crazy things as a young adult, and maybe he felt that he should let his story be heard for other young adults who feel lost, or refuse to grow up, as if to reassure them that they are not the only ones who feel the way they do.

What Makes Holden a Typical Teen?

Holden is an interesting individual. He is a typical teen, but he is very unique at the same time. First off, his mouth definitely makes him sound like a teen. It drives me crazy! Gosh, he needs to bulk up on his vocabulary, or something! Like many teens, Holden gets nervous over lots of things. He especially gets nervous when Stradlater is getting ready for his date with Jane. "I pulled the peak of my hunting hat around to the front all of a sudden, for a change. I was getting sort of nervous, all of a sudden. I'm quite the nervous guy"(34). Holden cares about Jane all throughout the book. One unique thing about Holden is how he treats for women. Unlike other guys, Holden gives them respect, and cares about what they think. He talks about how much it kills him how guys like Stradlater take advantage to girls. Holden talks about it a little before the prostitute comes to his room. "The thing is, most of the time when you're coming pretty close to doing it with a girl-a girl that isn't a prostitute or anything-she keeps telling you to stop. The trouble with me is, I stop. Most guys don't"(92). One good quality that Holden has is that he is not shy to speak what he believes. He tells the audience that he is atheist, and how he hates phonies. Holden is not hypocritical, he is not a phony. With Holden, what you see is who he is, minus whatever you don't ask him to share.
Holden is sad because he is growing up. He is afraid of the adult world, and misses the innocence and honesty of childhood. If things could be his way, he would stay a child forever. The metaphor in the book Catcher in the Rye is a rye field. Children are in the field and can't see over the rye. When the children grow and see over the rye, they are exposed to adulthood, which is just as good as death, or a fatal fall off a cliff. If Holden could, he would sweep down and save all those children before they fall. Holden never had a good childhood, and that did not prepare himself for adulthood. I think he just wants to start over, and that's why he does stupid things throughout the book. He's too exposed to adulthood to go back to childhood, yet he is not ready for adulthood.