The Catcher in the Rye - Question 7

Author J.D. Salinger uses very interesting techniques to engage the audience and make the story effective. For one, he portrays Holden as a very rude, yet surprisingly caring individual. This effectively catches readers attention because they never know what Holden may say or even do next that leaves them in shock and utter disbelief. Salinger also uses a technique that I have never seen depicted in any novel or short story. He writes a story about nothing to represent something. I was always interested in reading about what adventure Holden would find himself in next up until the very end of the book.

Holden Caulfield tells it how it is in The Catcher in the Rye. In many situations, Holden expresses his exact feelings toward someone or something. “He was one of these very, very tall, round-shouldered guys – he was about six four – with lousy teeth. The whole time he roomed next to me, I never even once saw him brush his teeth. They always looked mossy and awful. And he damn near made you sick if you saw him in the dining room with his mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas or something. Besides that, he had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn’t too crazy about him, to tell you the truth,” (Salinger 19). Yup, probably one of the longest rants from Holden in the whole novel. He did not just tell readers that he “wasn’t too crazy about him”, but he proceeded to describe almost every flaw Ackley possessed. This is the rude side of Holden that readers just cannot get enough of throughout the novel. I think we as audiences love the raw, uncut judgment because it makes up realize everyone does it. We as humans cannot avoid scrutinizing our fellow beings.

Holden makes up for his rude behavior by demonstrating his more caring side when he lies to his peer’s mother about how “sensitive” her son is (Salinger 55). Hearing the good news about her son, the mother is overwhelmed and joyful because of Holden’s good deed.

Another technique Salinger uses that caught my attention is his overall plot in The Catcher in the Rye. For my example and reference, I cite the whole entire novel (Salinger 1-214). So many people despise the book for that very reason, but at the same time, I know a very good majority of individuals give high regard to Salinger for this effective and unique technique (otherwise the novel would not be considered a classic and we probably would not spend our summer reading it, am I right?). Overall, I was definitely more intrigued by the novel because I never knew or could guess what Holden would do next.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1991. Print.