J.D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye

J.D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye

The passage of adolescence has served as the central theme for many

novels, but J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, long a staple in academic

lesson plans, has captured the spirit of this stage of life in hyper-sensitive

form, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic

reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep

school student Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material

that is socially scandalous for the times (Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional,

intelligent, inquisitive, and painfully sensitive young man, Holden puts his

inner world to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the

teachings of his education, and his own emerging sense of self. Throughout

the years, the language of the story has startled some readers. Salinger's

control of Holden's easy, conversational manner makes the introduction of

these larger themes appear natural and believable. (Bloom, 1990).

At the time of the novel through today, Holden's speech rings true to the

colloquial speech of teenagers. Holden, according to many reviews in the

Chicago Tribune, the New Yorker, and the New York Times, accurately

captures the informal speech of an average intelligent, educated, northeastern

American adolescent (Costello, 1990). Such speech includes both simple

description and cursing. For example, Holden says, "They're nice and all", as

well as "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or

anything." In the first instance, he uses the term "nice" which oversimplifies

his parents' character, implying he does not wish to disrespect them, yet at

the same time he does not praise them. At best he deems them as "nice and

all." Holden further cuts short his description, but in a more curt manner,

when he states he will not tell his "whole goddam autobiography or anything."

From the start the reader picks up Holden's hostility and unwillingness to

share his views strictly by his use of language (Salzman, 1991).

From the last two examples, another colloquialism can be seen. Holden

has a habit of ending his descriptions with tag phrases such as "and all" or "or

anything." (Salzman, 1991). Not only does Holden speak like this in the

beginning of the novel, but throughout the book, making this pattern a part of

his character. One could imagine Holden frequently ending his sentences

with "and all," realizing it is a character trait since not all teenagers used that

phrase. So the "and all" tag to Holden's speech served to make his speech