I Am A Rock Catcher In The Rye

Paul Simon’s, “I Am A Rock,” brilliantly delineates Holden and two of the major motifs in The Catcher in the Rye; loneliness and relationships. Through the lyrics, “I am alone / Gazing from my window / To the streets below / On a freshly fallen, silent shroud of snow / I am a rock / I am an island,” it is evident that the writer is isolated from society; looking upon it only from behind the glass of his window. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden does the same. While finding salvation from Stradlater in Ackley’s room, Holden, “got up and went over and looked out the window. [He] felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. [He] almost wished [he] was dead,” (Salinger 54). It is clear that Holden, like Simon, looks through his window when he is feeling

I got feeling so lonesome and rotten,” (Salinger 56). This again shows how completely alone he feels, and it is certainly not the only time he brings up his isolation. In fact, Holden references it countless times throughout the novel. This proves his link to Simon and Garfunkel - through their comparable loneliness. The tone of Simon’s aching words, “I touch no one and no one touches me,” suggests a great despondency towards love, similar to Holden, who lacks, but craves connection. During his first cab ride, Holden notices that “it was so quiet and lonesome out, even though it was Saturday night. I didn't see hardly anybody on the street. Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing a street, with their arms around each other's waists and all, or a bunch of hoodlumy-looking guys and their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn't funny...it makes you feel so lonesome and depressed,” (Salinger 90-91). Not only does this critical expression again prove Holden’s loneliness, but it also shows his desire for intimacy. It can be said that, although he clearly states his disapproval of the partners’ actions, he still longs for this kind of