Catcher and the Rye 1

So far, I do like the book and I like Holden. The thing that most stuck out to me, as I read the first portion of the book, was the type of narration and language being used. Holden being the narrator affects many aspects of the story. The language used is extremely casual and in addition it helps to show Holden's character and personality. Grammar is of no importance because he narrates as if he is talking to the reader. You can tell that Holden is a cynical person because of his narration. In addition you can tell that he is extremely depressed but also somewhat innocent. I think that the book is somewhat suspenseful, but not in the conventional way. This is because at the beginning of the story, Holden talks about how he will tell the story of his mental deterioration, but all the details that he begins with seem insignificant and it makes you wonder what they will all amount to. I also think that Holden's descriptions of everyone and everything around him reflects how he feels. This is because he describes almost everything he does as depressing when really the reader gets the sense that he is depressed. Also, I noticed that his red hunter's hat is mentioned a lot. I believe that it is symbolic of Holden, because it is unique and individual to only him. He wears it because he wants to think that he is superior to all the other "phonies" in the world. He also shows his belief that he is superior to everyone because not only does he criticize everyone, but he also constantly says that he is sorry for everyone. Also, I thought that his curiosity about the ducks in Central Park was interesting because it is childish and innocent. This contrasts many of the things he tries to do to make himself seem older, like going to the nightclubs. Holden also makes many excuses for himself like when he is not in the mood to do anything. This alienates himself from everyone else. I think that the relationship between Jesus and his disciples is a parallel of that between Holden and the rest of the word because he says that the disciples keep letting Jesus down, while he never enjoys anything because everyone ruins things for him like Lillian at the nightclub. Overall, I think that the author uses the tangential stories that Holden describes to let the reader better understand Holden. Even though he is crazy, the reader understands him because they know what he is thinking. Also, no one knows Holden because he is constantly lying. I think he lies to himself and tries to undermine the importance of the death of Allie. His character reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the Departed. This is because in both cases, they pretend that they are not scared, but in reality, they are both extremely frightened; Holden is scared of never finding his place and Leonardo is scared of his job. Because of this fear, they both alienate themselves from society. In addition, they both trap themselves because of their loneliness which is a prominent motif in both story lines; they are both misunderstood and believed to be mentally ill.