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With such a vivid description of this densely populated, and optimistic city on the east coast during a time of growth and construction itself after the Great Depression of the 1930's, this element leaves a reader to focus in on the lead character here. Plus, elements such as his age and his "red hunting hat" demonstrate that he will direly hold on to that sense of self. However, his demand to defend and preserve that sense of self is hat excludes him from the world, prevents him from interacting, and therefore makes him feel both left out and victimized.
Readers can see that Holden Caulfield's alienation is the cause of most of his pain. He is his own restraint and self-absorbed sense is what blinds him. At times, he has an inflated sense of superiority, but more often than not he feels unwanted and unwelcome.
On the other hand, the title quote in this book demonstrates his compassion and that he is concerned for the well-being of others. He tells Phoebe, a girl that he has known for quite a while, that he would like to see himself as a "catcher in the rye" so he can catch the children before they ran too close to the edge. By wanting to watch over and secure the safety of innocence of children while they play, this shows quite a bit of depth to his character.
Caulfield also demonstrates the humane ability to connect...
Spencer in chapter two. Caulfield describes that he feels "trapped on the other side of life," implying that he feels left out and abnormally disregarded, unlike the others, even the phony people. The focus here is on the connection to Mr. Spencer. Together with this connection with Phoebe, these exhibit his want to reach out and disregard that defensive wall.
Therefore, he cannot be labeled one way or another, as an entirely reclusive and self-alienating person, or as a person doing what he can to please the masses. Actually, he favors the first more than the latter, but not entirely. This is proof that he is a rounded teen. By no means is he lively, proficient, or even close to fully capable of anything; he is merely coming-of-age.
Conclusion
Catcher in the Rye is an example of bildungsroman; no, not a building in Rome, but a story of individual evolution. "The term Bildungsroman denotes a novel of all-around self-development." From thevictorianweb.org, Suzanne Hader illustrates this point in her article entitled the Bildungsroman Genre: Great Expectations, Aurora Leigh, and Waterland. She elaborates further:
A Bildungsroman is, most generally, the story of a single individual's growth and development within the context of a defined social order. The growth process, at its roots a quest story, has been described as both "an apprenticeship to life" and a "search for meaningful existence within society (Hader, 2005).
By dissociating himself from any concern in life, by remaining alienated from both himself and society, Caulfield avoids obligation, but even more importantly he deters judgment and humilation. Amongst sixteen-year-olds, this is far more common than not; a crucial element of the character's bildungsroman. The brilliance of J.D. Salinger as depicted in this book will forever live on.
References
Ulin, David L. "J.D. Salinger: a gift of words and silence." Los Angeles Times, Jan. 29, 2010.
Gopnik, Adam. The New Yorker, February 8, 2010, p. 21
Graham, Sarah (2007). J.D. Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye. Routledge.
Hader, Suzanne.
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