ARTS REVIEW
ARTS REVIEW
A Catcher in the Rye ISSY STRATFORD
“Filled with teenage angst, it is a book that, in the 72 years since its publication, has caused a lot of debate and controversy.”
ISSY STRATFORD
before its time. Filled with teenage angst, it is a book that, in the 72 years since its publication, has caused a lot of debate and controversy, yet that is one reason why I praise it so highly. The story follows the narration of a young, 17-year-old man named Holden Caulfield. After he struggles with frustration and depression at Pencey Prep, in Pennsylvania, he is eventually expelled. This prompts him to travel to his home of Manhattan, leaving his school behind 3 days before his official expulsion is due to begin. He stays in a hotel, and recklessly does not tell his parents. Alone in New York, Holden explores the city on his own and adventures into the world of what he thinks adulthood is: drinking, sex, and drugs.
I first came across this book at a nearby jumble-sale. I picked it up because of the enticing, bold, red horse on the front cover, plus it looked well-loved; with lots of dog-eared pages and a battered spine. Inspecting it, I gingerly flipped it over and found no blurb or explanation. Little did I know then that I would later re-read this novel many times, and how deeply it would make me think about my outlook on life, passion, and the future. First published as a novel in 1951, ‘A Catcher in the Rye’ is a Bildungsroman genre book, whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a youthful protagonist. It is thought to be a classic, but Salinger’s writing style and themes covered in the book create a sense of modernity long
reminds him that he has misremembered the poem that he took the image from: Robert Burns’s poem says, “if a body meet a body, coming through the rye,” not “catch a body.” I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is something unlike anything I have ever read or ever will read. I recommend Salinger’s novel as it is a must read for all teenagers and has an inspiring message that we should all remain optimistic, hopeful, and true to ourselves. Its prominent and complex themes of rebellion, identity and independence highlight why it is such an influential coming-of-age story.
Holden is the perfect embodiment of what is known as an unreliable narrator. His emotions are strong, his opinions are prominent and any depiction of another character, or even himself, is tainted by those emotional opinions he holds. I find one of the most magnetic aspects of the novel to be the way in which Salinger pulls the reader into Holden’s world, using his first-person perspective and Yankee accent through his writing. He conveys his fantasy of being viewed as a saviour through the image of “the catcher in the rye,” a person who catches little children as they are about to fall off a cliff. Holden’s foolishness and naivety is emphasized by this quote as his sister
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