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.