SECOND JOURNAL

Andrew Beck Per. 7 9/13/98 Mr. Luizzi

The novel Catcher In The Rye is probably the most enjoyable book I have ever read. The main protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is someone very ordinary who possesses a unique quality. That is, all the readers can identify with him. Caulfield is your average teenage boy combating a problem only he seems to have-fitting in. Through this basic main theme Holden encounters all the potholes in life, something we can all relate too. These experiences although very entertaining are all to real and put the reader in to Holden's shoes. Yet Holden is different is one very profound way, he has been secluded and out of contact with the outside world because of his boarding school. Although there are many others in boarding school with him only is the one out of the social circle. For example Caulfield is one of the only people who is not attending the much anticipated football game at Pencey. One of Holden's main troubles is his distaste for phonies and his search for the sincere. This is something I totally can associate with, for I also dislike "fake" people and enjoy the company of the sincere. Holden gets himself into some trouble with his feelings about phonies. The first example is with his roommate Stradlater who he gets into a fight with for no apparent reason except for his relationship with Holden's old friend Jane Gallagher. An interesting aspect of Catcher is the back drop- New York City. The city has been Caulfield's home since he was a small boy but now he is gone for long periods at a time. So when he goes back home he doesn't know what to expect. Yet when he finally does arrive he notices something, nothing has changed but there is a different feeling. Only he has changed! This is evident when Caulfield visits the museum but rather than going in he reminisces about his visits here as a schoolboy. He recalls times when he would walk by a mock Indian village and everytime he came they would always be there in the exact same spot. An odd trait which Holden possesses is his imagination. Throughout the course of the book Caulfield constantly pictures himself in unrealistic situations. This could be due to the fact that Holden is an insecure person. He receives little support from his family for he rarely sees them and he is a poor student and has flunked out of three boarding schools including Pencey. His amazing imagination has led him to many things from the Army to being a catcher in the rye, whatever his mind is on. Finally, the importance of the catcher in the rye. I believe that the catcher in the rye has many meanings and connections to the book. One impaticular is that it symbolized how lost Holden was just floating aimlessly with no goals or aspirations. All off this ties together and shows how hard growing up can be and the effects your childhood can have on your future.