J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye

Okay, I'll admit that I haven't read this book in a little while. It's been about a year. But I know that I can give you the details you need. This is not meant, by the way, to help college students who need a bS answer to write that 8-page paper for AmLit class. I did it too; but I won't be that helpful in that regard.

Anyways, on this book, which is a classic and known as a coming-of-age story for most young men as they identify with a young Holden Caulfield, a book worth reading. As a moderately young female, I also identified slightly with Holden, who struggled with his inner assuredness. I found a particular part, where Holden is talking to Mr. Antolini, who shares this:

"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them--if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry." (J.D. Salinger)

Salinger did a great job throwing in curse words at any occasion, but also to share the lonliness of a troubled man who couldn't be bad enough to fall through the cracks, but was never destined to be good. But because of his flaws, we love him. He's always slipping out of his own control, and we the reader kind of like that. All he has to do is wet his hand and run it through his hair, because all he wants is to be minimally groomed, just enough to score. And guys who can do that always will. He's broken. He's hurt. He's never going to quite win, although he'll always be compared to someone who will. But he's got his unwavering gall, and the effect of his fist can not be underestimated.

The last line in the book gives us this, "It's funny. Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." Because we have him in a bound novel, we have tragic, young Caulfield, but even from the beginning, we miss knowing Holden fully, because he won't give us more than his pain.