(published in The Straits Times' Young Classified)
At first glance, The Catcher in the Rye seems like an aged classic forever resigned to high school reading lists, the kind of thing that students are required to read, but hate reading. I thought it was an American novel about baseball or farming, or both, but really it’s a surprisingly easy read, especially suited to young adults.
Holden Caulfield is an underachieving youth frustrated in his dull boarding school environment. He has just been expelled yet again, after failing all his subjects except English. Caught in a exasperating situation, he leaves his boarding school a few days before he is due to, and travels back to New York City, deciding to stay at a hotel for a few nights before returning to his parents. This novel is mostly about Caulfield grappling with his angst towards the people around him, and coming to terms with his inner thoughts and emotions.
At first, the reader might think that Caulfield is the usual reckless, rebellious teenager. But as the novel goes on, we find out about his reasons for disliking people because they are “phony”, and his reasons for not applying himself, or attempting to improve. Even though this novel was written in 1945, many teens today will be able to relate to Caulfield’s feelings of resentment. We learn that he has essentially given up on school because of the way he views life, and how he is disappointed by the adults around him. As children, we tend to think that adults are infallible. But as we grow up, like Caulfield, we begin to lose faith in the hypocritical decisions adults make, and hence lose faith in society itself. Everyone has at one point, experienced the disillusion Caulfield feels, and it is this coming of age story that makes this novel so accessible.
The casual, almost conversational language of Caulfield’s narration makes this novel a smooth read. It is as if you were reading a long letter from Caulfield, what with his frequent digressions and 1940s slang. The way that curses are generously distributed throughout the narration also suggests Caulfield’s general detachment and anger towards the world around him.
Along his journey, adult mentors attempt to convince him to mend his ways. To maintain his self-assured appearance, Caulfield initially pretends to ignore their advice, but really, inside, their words make him reflect upon his actions. We see evidence of this when he feels sorry for a pair of schoolteachers who are enthusiastic about teaching literature, and also at the end, when he realizes the importance of family and of education.
Catcher in the Rye is a suitable introduction to modern American literature, as its timeless themes will be able to resonate with readers of all ages.
