In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. This perception of the world does not change significantly throughout the novel. However as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this. During the short period of Holden's life covered in this book, Holden does succeed in making us believe that the world is a heartless and unforgiving place.
             The book opens with Holden Caulfield in some kind of rest home in California. He is the narrator of the novel and tells whole story in long flashback.
             In the beginning of the story Holden is watching the Friday night football game from atop a hill. He had just returned from a fencing match in New York that had to be cut short because the captain of the fencing team (holden), left all of the equipment on the subway. Needless to say it was a long trip home for Holden. After all of this has happened Holden gets back only to learn that he has been released from Pencey Prep, his current school, and placed on academic probation. Holden was not stupid by any means, but if he did not desire to learn what was being taught, he refused to try. The professors on the other hand did not agree with Holden's reasoning. Therefore, he was failing all but one of his classes, English.
             . This was not the first time that Holden was removed from a school. Holden knew there was always another boarding school that would be happy to accept him and his money. This time he was not going to just sit back and wait for the next school to pick him up, he was going to enjoy himself while he could. He was scheduled to leave on Wednesday. It was only Friday. The possibilities were endless on what could happen in those five days.
             While sitting in his dorm thinking about his next move in life, his neighbor Robert Ackley came barging in through the curtain that separated the two r...