Student Must-Read 3: The Catcher In The Rye

 "It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to."

 

The Catcher in the Rye follows young Holden Caulfield in the aftermath of his expulsion from a prestigious high school. 

 

Holden abhors what he perceives as the ‘phoniness’ of adult life. He sees it manifest in the hypocrisy of his teachers, his peers, the movies, and superficial friendliness. Though Holden’s cynicism can be quite shocking to readers at first, it is also frequently comedic and sometimes thought-provoking. A character like Holden is a magnifying glass for all the petty games we play on a day-to-day basis.

 

Some may criticize Holden, concluding that his self-righteousness and privilege make him difficult to empathize with. However, there is much more to Holden and this book than that. What J.D. Salinger was exploring is an exercise in attention. 

What is it like to perceive the world as Holden does? 

How does it inform our own lives? 

How does it make a grander point about modernity and material wealth contrasted with genuine human connection? 

When you read between the lines of Holden’s pronouncements, you don’t see a self-assured young man, but a scared kid whose only defence is cynicism.

 

I remember reading the book and seeing parallels to my own life. I too abhorred the superficiality of consumerism, for example. How peers would come to school showcasing branded clothing simply to gain higher social standing, or how teachers demanded work in subjects they seemed to have lost interest in teaching.

 

Despite Holden's cynicism, wit abounds in how he sees the world. As he moves from one location to the next, the reader becomes his only companion and confidant. Each encounter informs us of how Holden sees the world and gradually, how he comes to understands himself. Later in the novel, when he meets his little sister, a dimension of his personality opens that we didn’t necessarily expect.

 

I believe The Catcher in the Rye is a must-read for students because of how closely it brings us to our protagonist. In truth, there are no climactic leaps or melodrama in this novel, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t emotional developments. Readers will find great depths depending on how they look at it.

 

 Its staying power, I believe, comes from the meaning between the lines.

 

Ultimately, that makes readers return to the angsty world of Holden Caulfield and his search for meaning in life.

 

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