Genre: Challenged
Annotation: Growing up sucks, and sometimes one needs drop out of boarding school and go on a life-changing adventure in New York to get through.
Review: How does one differentiate between typical teen angst and problem teenage behavior? Adolescence is, above all else, a time of pronounced physical, emotional, and psychological change. It is not surprising that some children do not or cannot readily accept all the changes that occur during their juvenile years. This is certainly the case for Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in A Catcher in the Rye. Salinger, the author, quickly paints Holden as insecure, moody, depressed, apathetic, and impulsive, but there is some question as to whether Holden is a troubled youth or simply a typical teenager (even though by the end of the novel he is undergoing psychotherapy).
The story takes place over a 3-4 day period when Holden has been expelled from Pencey Prep, a private boarding school in Pennsylvania and decides to travel back to familiar territory in Manhattan. Of the experiences he has, several important themes emerge during all of these exchanges. Among the themes that appear in the novel, Holden’s (sexual) identity crisis is paramount. This could be one of the main reasons this book is so often challenged and banned. Holden is attempting to “become a man,” first by challenging Stradlater over the honor of Jane Gallagher, then by dancing with the women at the Lavender Room, briefly dating Sally Hayes, and also by agreeing to hire a prostitute. These are affirmative attempts at developing a heterosexual male identity. However, Holden also seeks to prove his heterosexuality by making immature comments against homosexuals when he is with Carl Luce, and also as he flees from Mr. Antonili when Holden feels threatened by what he interprets as a homosexual gesture made by his former English teacher. The anxiety that Holden expresses over homosexuality could also indicate some ambiguity regarding his own sexual identity.
Perhaps one of the more interesting themes in Catcher is the very classist/elitist nature of the storyline. Holden is obviously from an affluent family that lives in Manhattan and sends their children to prestigious boarding schools. Holden’s penchant for literature and the arts and his knowledge of high culture also denote membership in the upper class. In fact, he eschews the film industry for which his brother D.B. is working in Hollywood in favor of literature. Holden makes numerous comments about his disdain for motion pictures. Presumably, Holden should be content with his privilege and social status. Several times in the novel it is mentioned that Holden is a handsome young man. Yet, he is not content with life’s fortunes. Holden remains depressed and sullen throughout the novel. He is only happy when the innocence of childhood is reintroduced into his life, particularly by his younger sister Phoebe. Perhaps Salinger is commenting that, regardless of one’s station in life, we all must face the pains of adolescence/change and some of us (again regardless of social class) will not successfully adapt to the changes brought on by age. Moreover, depression and mental illness can affect anyone. At first blush, Catcher is a simple story, yet it deals with incredibly complex subject matter: growing up, becoming a man, and feeling as though you’re failing at it all.
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