The Catcher in the Rye

     As I near the half way point of  J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, I'm really beginning to get curious as to where this book is heading. The entirety of the first hundred pages have been about the main character, Holden. So far we have learned about much of his life through small anecdotes. He went back about one year before to begin telling his story of why he is wherever he is. Right now, I am really interested in where he goes after just being expelled from school, but not wanting to go home yet. His parents don't know yet so he must stay away from home and school. I am the same age as Holden and I can't imagine just staying in a hotel in New York for a few days after being expelled.
     Referring back to the first sentence of the book, Holden says "If you really want to know about it..." (1). About what? That is what is driving me crazy- half way through and we still don't know. Nonetheless, I really like this book so far. I expected it to be very different since it is such a classic, but it is completely relatable and normal. However, I really want to know where he is.

The Catcher in the Rye

     As I've already said,  J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has really all been about Holden and characterizing him. So far, we, the reader, have learned about his life through imagery, description, and conversations. Now, in section two, I have learned a lot more about him through diction. The way he speaks shows his education and age clearly. He swears constantly. Also, he says things like "I toleja about that" (72). Obviously, he is saying "I told you about that," but the way the author wrote it out phonetically shows Holden is a typical seventeen-year-old. The author also includes Holden's extensive use of profanity to do the same thing. The way Holden speaks helps the reader understand him and that he is a normal teenager.

The Catcher in the Rye

      J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye includes quite a bit of characterization of the main character, Holden. Another prevalent quality of Holden is that he is not extremely confident. He is always calling himself a moron or other names. When talking about how brilliant his siblings are, he says, "I'm the only really dumb one" (67). However, he may have a point. He was kicked out of multiple schools. Although, I feel he really could be smart, he just doesn't apply himself. Also, his careless attitude probably relates back to his psychological issues. The book seems to be set in a psych ward, so we will likely find out why he is there and why he is so strange. The author does a good job of making the reader forget that the whole story is a flashback, and that eventually we will find out what is happening currently with Holden.

The Catcher in the Rye

     The main character, Holden Caulfield, of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, proves to be a very unique guy. Thus far in the novel, the author has used imagery and conversations to convey his character to the reader. One profound trait of Holden is that he is a compulsive liar. He often tells lies even when the do not benefit him at all, just for the sake of lying. At one point, he is talking to a friend's mom on a train. He really has no reason to lie to her; he'll likely never even see her again. But he truly can not help himself.

"Then I started reading this timetable I had in my pocket. Just to stop lying. Once I get started, I can go on for hours if I feel like it" (58).

     The fact that Holden lies so much tells a lot about his character. Due to previous stories, it is obvious he has psychological problems. I don't really know if that is what caused his lying problem, but it is clear both issues are interfering with his life.