Catcher in the Rye is more than the sum of its parts. Sure, it has great characters and interesting events, but these things don't quite capture the novel's spark.
The grander themes of the book give the Catcher of the Rye its je ne sais quoi.
Catcher in the Rye is a masterpiece of teenage angst. It was one of the first books to truly capture the isolation, confusion and blind anger of adolescence.
These years of teenage-dom are hell. Somehow you need to figure out who you are. That's a tall order for someone whose life has been planned, prepared and guided up to that point. Uncertainty breeds fear and anger. You're torn between your parents', society's and your own desires. Tough stuff.
Holden Caulfield is the blueprint of a disenchanted teenager who gives the bird to everyone and stomps off into his room. He struggles with his own rebellion. Thinking that he's "cool," he hires a prostitute, but can't consummate the transaction because of his lingering morality. Heck, he doesn't know what he's rebelling against half of the time. It's not just the rebellion that strikes a chord with us. It's the emotional isolation, alienation and confusion that we can all relate to.
We were all teenagers once, after all.
Even the writing style captures the unique self-absorption of the teenage mind. His narrative allows the reader to peek into Holden's brain. Even the sequence of events contribute to the quintessential teenage tone of this book. Like our lives, Holden's story is a story of miniature dramas strung together. And who can forget the curse worrds?
Holden's no phony -- he's the real deal.
- Christina Hartmann
No comments:
Post a Comment