THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
The Catcher In the Rye is a great piece of American Literature. Ever since its publication in1951, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has served as a firestorm for controversy and debate.Critics have argued the moral issues brought on by the book and the context in which it ispresented. Some critics have argued that Salinger's tale of the human condition is fascinating andenlightening, yet incredibly depressing. The psychological battles of the novel's main character,Holden Caulfield, serve as the basis for critical argument. Caulfield's self-destruction over a periodof days forces one to contemplate society's attitude toward the human condition. Salinger'sportrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, nervous breakdown, impulsivespending, sexual exploration, vulgarity, and other erratic behavior, have all attributed to thecontroversial nature of the novel. Yet the novel is not without its sharp advocates, who argue thatit is a critical look at the problems facing American youth during the 1950's. When developing acomprehensive opinion of the novel, it is important to consider the praises and criticisms of The Two of J.D. Salinger short stories, "I'm Crazy" and "Slight Rebellion
Behrman found Caulfield to be very self-critical, as he often refers to himself as aterrible liar, a madman, and a moron. Engle wrote: "The effort has beenmade to make the text, told by the boy himself, as accurate and yet as imaginative as possible. He praised the book in noting that it was not merely another account of adolescence,complete with general thoughts on youth and growing up. She also remarkedthat Holden was so completely self-centered that any other characters who wandered through thebook, with the exception of Holden's sister, Phoebe, had no authenticity at all. Inthis, it largely succeeds" (Engle 3). Though considered by most to be a tragedy, The Catcher in the Rye is found by somecritics to be humorous, witty, and clever. Salinger'sportrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, nervous breakdown, impulsivespending, sexual exploration, vulgarity, and other erratic behavior, have all attributed to thecontroversial nature of the novel. Behrman noted in his critique of The Catcher in the Rye that the hero and heroine ofthe novel, Holden's dead brother Allie and Jane Gallagher, never appear in it, but they are alwaysin Holden's mind, together with his sister, Phoebe. Thousands of littlekids, and nobody's around- nobody big I mean- except me. Salinger failed in his novel to address other characters with as much detailas Holden. Caulfield's inability to communicate with others is also represented symbolically in theuncompleted phone calls and undelivered messages which appear throughout the novel . Salinger failed in his novel to address other characters with as much detailas Holden.
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Acceptance Essays
