The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger

If you haven't already read this book, you need to read it. It is considered to be a classic, and for good reason. First of all, the characters are stellar, especially Holden. (Read my other posts to find out more about him.) Even the small characters are great, such as Stradlater, (his roommate at his boarding school in the beginning of the book) and Sally Hayes (his ex-girlfriend). Salinger's craft is marvelous, and he is definitely in my top ten authors. The way the characters interact is so real, it makes me want to pick up this book and read it all over again. 

I've tracked some ideas and issues throughout this book, and after completing it, I can say that Holden's biggest antagonist was himself. Society also played a big role, but I believe that ultimately, he was the one holding himself back and stopping himself from living life to the fullest. In Holden's defense, he did have a mental disorder. I know I can't be that mad at him, but many times in the book he says, "I swear to God I'm a madman." (134). It's almost as if Holden was annoyed with himself for acting so crazy. The part that really gets to me, is that Holden became 100% aware of his problem, yet he didn't do anything to fix it, and he still complained! 

However, it is this contradiction that makes Holden such an interesting and thought-provoking character. He often refers to everyone around him as, "phonies." This is his word for people who pretend to be something that they're not, and just do things so people will think they are sophisticated. Holden basically thinks everyone in the world is a phony except his little sister, Phoebe. They share a lot of the same traits, which is the reason Holden actually loves her.  It was almost as if Holden had all this love inside that he needed to let out, but with time, the love turned to hatred, and the hatred made him a cynical and sad person. 

Holden really did change a lot though. At the beginning of the book, he hated the world so much that he would rather have not made connections with the people and places in it, just so he wouldn't be sad when he left. He knew ultimately that eventually people will have to leave everything, whether it be by death, or another form. Holden thought about suicide once in the book as well. At the end of the book, Holden tells the reader, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." (214). This implies that Holden learned how to make connections to people; he learned how to love, and be happy. He is glad he made the connections, because it wouldn't hurt to tell if he hadn't. When his sister tells him she wants to run away with him out west, he sees a part of himself in her, and has an epiphany. He realizes that running away from life will benefit no one, and that there are people in the world who really care about him.

Overall, I think all of this and more is what makes Holden such a relatable character. He tells it like it is, and he's not afraid to speak his mind. He learns from his experiences, and by doing so gains wisdom. Everyone can learn something from him, whether it's about depression, relationships, coping with failure, or even expressing yourself. I hope, one day soon, that Salinger will speak to you like he did to me.