The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger #3 - Finished

          This week I finished the book The Catcher in the Rye. In the last third of the book, the main character Holden begins to express signs that he's scared about his future. Holden spends the remaining pages trying to find himself, but he still feels lost. While out on a date with his friend, Holden decides to leave his home and essentially run away. He wants to escape his problems, and simply go to some place where he can get a fresh start.

          Although Holden never actually describes himself as lost, one can infer that he is still trying to find who he is. Throughout the story he describes most characters, mainly adults, as "phonies". Holden seems to truly consider only himself and his sister to be anything other than fake. While acknowledging this point, the reader could infer that Holden is trying to convey that he doesn't belong in this society, and that this is not the identity he wanted for himself. One could also understand that Holden considers becoming a phony to be part of growing up. This may be why he is reluctant to do so. On many occasions, Holden mentions how his brother D. B. became a "sellout" when he grew up and became a writer. This personal experience may explain Holden's pessimistic view of growing up.

          When Holden was asked by his sister Phoebe about what he wanted to become, his response was a very pivotal moment in the story:

"What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy," (Salinger, 93).

       In the lines stated above, one can truly see that Holden Caulfield is a lost soul. He sympathizes with those in similar situations, and has decided that he'd want to help. Similar to the people Holden described in the quote, he is also someone who is running without looking. He is simply getting by in life, but has no idea where his path may take him.  

          Overall I enjoyed this book, and I found the stream of consciousness structure to be different and refreshing, since it is not seen often in the books I read. I also liked how a reader could interpret the central message in many different ways. It all depends on which inferences they made. For example, this link takes you to an article on analyzing the reason why Holden is the way he is.