At first glance The Catcher in the Rye may seem like any other novel. It is not extraordinarily long and really getting involved in the book doesn't take much effort at all. The book is written as an autobiographical look back at the last year of seventeen year old Holden Caulfield's life and is written as he is sitting in his resting home in California. However, though reading the entire book may not be too difficult of a task, truly understanding it is. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a book full of symbolism and hidden meaning. It is not just a story of a year in the life of a troubled sixteen year old, it is the story of the inevitable loss of innocence in one's life, and a teenager's attempt to prevent it. Throughout the book Holden as well as his siblings...