Summary:
J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" is an example of a picaresque novel, literature in which a low social class hero experiences adventures that satirize the larger society. A key theme is Holden Caulfield's struggle from adolescence to adulthood.
The picaresque novel "Catcher in the Rye" is based upon the narrator and central character Holden Caulfield and his episodic journey through the streets of New York. Throughout the novel Holden is telling the story of his journey from inside a sanitarium. The author J.D. Salinger chose to use first person point of view and this allows the reader to feel as if Holden is talking to you and you're the psychiatrist. I believe that this close connection allows the reader to see the events more clearly and to get a better understanding of the pressures that Holden has deal with and the pressures of adolescence in general. The first person point of view is a writing style that is often used in picaresque novels like the "Catcher in the rye."
The "Catcher in the rye" can be classified as a picaresque novel. According to the wikipedia the picaresque novel is a common and well-known style of writing that originated from Spain. This style of novel follows the episodic adventures of a roguish hero of a low class in society. In a picaresque novel the adventurer or picaro often ridicules the community that he/she has exploited. In the "Catcher in the rye" Holden ridicules the phoniness of adult life without realising the fact that he is being hypocritical because he is a typical phoney. A good example of this is when Holden lies to the lady on the Train. Holden makes up a ridiculous story of why is isn't at school so that she doesn't think poorly of him. Picaresque novels are often constructed in 1st person point of view so it can contain clear and accurate detail. The "Catcher in the rye" is a perfect example of a picaresque novel. This narrative has most of the qualities of a picaresque novel. It is told in first person point of view, it is episodic in structure; it follows Holden the picaro/rogue throughout his adventures and it contains vivid detail. The "Catcher in the rye" is one of the world's most famous Picaresque texts. Other world famous picaresque novels include Tom Jones, Don Quixote, the adventurers of huckleberry fin and Lazarillo de tormes the first ever written picaresque novel.
To resemble a typical 16 year old, Holden is constructed to battle the average pressures of an adolescent. This is apparent when Holden tells us of the consequences that will be implemented if he fails in his studies. "He'll send me to that goddam military school ". As well as this major pressure Holden has to face the pressures of smoking and alcohol. Unfortunately these pressures were obviously too overwhelming for Holden to handle and as a result he is portrayed as a heavy smoker and drinker. Another typical adolescent pressure that dawn's on Holden is having sex. In the text Holden talks about his confusions towards sex. "Sex is something I really don't understand too hot". I believe that this inexperienced outlook can be blamed on the pressures of staying fashionable and following the crowd mixed with the lack of parental guidance at his boarding school. Although Holden had a number of typical adolescent pressures dawning on him, Holden is far from a typical adolescent. Throughout the text Holden has to face the pressure of people forcing Him to make the transition from an adolescent to an adult. A good example of this is when Mr. Spencer lectures Holden in an attempt to get him to commit himself to his studies and play life as a game. As the narrative comes to a conclusion the reader observes that Holden is rejecting adult life. Holden hates the adult world so much that he fantasizes that he is the catcher, protecting the children from entering the adult world and keeping them safe in the colorful world of childhood.
J.D. Salinger decided to write the "Catcher in the rye" in first person point of view. The use of this technique has a number of advantages over other methods. One advantage is the sense unity the reader feels towards Holden. Because of this closeness the reader is able to get an insight into Holden's opinions on the world. By using this technique J.D. Salinger positions the reader to feel as if Holden is talking directly to them. This perception allows the reader to see into Holden's mind alike the way that a psychiatrist does.
An additional benefit that the reader obtains whilst reading a first person text like "the catcher in the rye" is the extensive information on the protagonist and the texts settings. The detailed information on the texts settings adds to the realism of the narrative and the vivid details on the protagonist gives the reader further insights into what Holden is thinking and saying. Although the advantages of using Holden as the narrator overshadow the disadvantages, there are still a number of weaknesses in this technique. As the reader is presented with only one viewpoint on the story, we must be alert of the possibility that we're getting a bias account of the facts. At various points in the text Holden informs the reader of his lying capabilities. "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" PG 14. This allows the reader question the trustworthiness of Holden's narration. J.D. Salinger encourages this critical approach towards Holden's accounting of the facts. Salinger does this in an attempt to make the reader develop an opinion to whether they love or hate Holden.
In conclusion J.D. Salinger uses his amazing writing abilities to portray realism to the reader. He portrays realism by presenting the novel in first person point of view, with vivid details and amazing accuracy towards real life. Because of this proximity towards real life the reader gets drawn into the novel and becomes emotionally connected with Holden and his attempts to evade the transition into an adult world. I believe that by the end of the novel Holden comes to terms with the fact that he cannot protect every child from phonies and he must grow up and face his adult responsibilities.
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