Blog Post Week One: The Catcher in the Rye

So far, while reading "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, I have noticed many things about the main character Holden Caulfield. I feel as though he, because of the passing of his brother, has been emotionally and psychologically crippled. Holden reveals that he lost his younger brother Allie to leukemia at a young age. He describes his brother as extremely friendly and quite brilliant. His brother's passing makes Holden unable to connect with anyone, and forces him into being extremely argumentative, cynical and disturbed. He cannot deeply be in touch with people and does not like to get close to anyone. He seems to not care at all about his future, or where he's headed. Holden is constantly describing others as 'phonies', which I find to be slightly hypocritical, because he, himself proves to be superficial at times. 

One of the main things that grabbed me during the novel was on page 173, the author makes a reference to the poem "Comin' Thro the Rye" by Robert Burns. This poem has already been brought up once or twice before, but this time, the true purpose and intent of the title of the novel is revealed. Holden describes the scene in which the poem takes place as one where children play near a cliff, and while they are playing and running around, they do not know that they are close to the edge, and that they are about to fall. Holden tells that all he wishes to do in his lifetime is to be the one who catches the children before they fall, and save them. Hence the name, "The Catcher in the Rye." To me, it seems like the reason why Holden is so driven to protect these children, is because he feels as though he needs to make up for the fact that he was not able to save his younger brother, or catch him before he 'fell'.

So far, I have enjoyed the novel to some extent. Though I do not like Holden's constant use of 'and all', 'old', 'helluva, I think it's an overall easy read and there is a good message to be understood from it. 

sry it was long.. didnt realize till i finished it    watevs