Examples Of Lousy In Catcher In The Rye

Intratextual

“She had a very lousy childhood. I’m not kidding” (Salinger 32).

Holden and his roommate Stradlater are in the bathroom, as Stradlater is preparing to go on a date. Originally, Holden assumes that Stradlater’s date is a girl named Fitzgerald, however, he is informed that there has been a change in the “arrangements” and that he is going with Jane Gallagher instead. This information takes Holden by surprise, as Jane and Holden were neighbours, thus growing very close, and the thought of Stradlater possibly using a girl he is close to for his personal gain aggravates Holden.

In the novel, Holden uses the word ‘lousy’ to describe Jane’s childhood, similarly to how he described his own. On the first page of the novel he says,

“you’ll probably want to know where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like”. Although it is not explicit why Holden thinks of his childhood as lousy, this connection explains why he empathizes with her to this extent. Later in the novel, it is mentioned that Holden witnesses Jane’s fearfulness in the presence of her stepfather, who causes her to cry and be comforted by Holden. This experience makes Holden develop sympathy and a personal connection to Jane. Throughout the novel, the main theme is the preservation of innocence and Holden places a great deal of importance on childhood. This can be seen in the quote above, as Holden is clearly sensitive regarding the quality of one’s upbringing, perhaps due to his own experiences, and the fact that he witnessed his younger brother deteriorate from his leukemia. Therefore, knowing that Jane has experienced an unpleasant childhood makes Holden identify with her, and consequently feel protective towards her, as he believes that Jane was stripped of her innocence.

In my opinion, Jane has experienced a difficult childhood, as we later find out that her parents were divorced when she was young, and she now has an alcoholic stepfather. Although it is not mentioned what her stepfather has done, her reactions to him being near her and her evident fear suggest abuse of some sort has taken place. Moreover, Jane has already experienced abandonment due to her parents' divorce and has an unhealthy relationship with her stepfather, and Stradlater clearly does not have an emotional connection with her and is only using her, which could be devastating for her. Therefore, Holden’s protective behavior towards her is understandable, because not only does he have an emotional connection with her, he also knows about her past and feels sympathy for her.

Intertextual

“I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (Salinger 16).

After spending some time at Mr. Spencer, his history teacher's house and getting lectured regarding his poor efforts in school, Holden fabricates a story to leave his teacher’s house without seeming rude. On his way to his dormitory at Pencey, Holden claims that he is an exceptional liar, and would lie even about the most insignificant facts, such as where he is going. He then goes into detail about whom his dormitory is named after, and how much of a phony the man is.

Holden often lies to the people around him, which could be a way of impressing others, or perhaps a way to control what others know about his personal life, therefore creating a barrier which prevents him from getting hurt. On page 16, Holden says the quote above, followed by examples of meaningless situations in which he feels inclined to lie. Another example of his dishonesty is when he gets on a train to New York, where he meets a classmate’s mother, to whom he lies about having a tumor, which could be a way to leave an impression or get sympathy. These actions are similar to those of Jay Gatsby from the novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. An example of Gatsby’s usage of deception is when he tells his neighbour that his wealth has been inherited from family. This is, of course, false, as he has built his fortune through organized crime. Moreover, Gatsby is obsessed with a woman named Daisy, who is married to an adulterous

man, while Holden is preoccupied with thoughts about Jane, who he thinks has changed and is dating his roommate. Therefore, in addition to being compulsive liars, both Gatsby and Holden are in love with unavailable women.

It seems to me that Holden uses deception to protect himself from the possibility of getting hurt. He describes everyone around him as phonies for trying to conform to society’s standards and attempting to impress others. Therefore, he would not lie to awe those around him, as that would be very hypocritical of him, and make him exactly like the phonies he is so afraid of becoming. Furthermore, I believe that Holden’s lies are a coping mechanism. He says that he cannot control his urge to lie, which suggests that this is not a conscious act of trying to appear interesting, and is rather his unconscious mind trying to dissociate from past painful experiences and memories.

Extratextual

“I went and looked out the window. I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden” (Salinger 48).

A bloody Holden goes to Ackley’s room in order to get away from Stradlater after their fight over Jane. He asks Ackley if he can sleep on the other bed in the room since Ackley’s roommate is per usual home for the weekend. Although Ackley is not necessarily fond of the idea in the beginning, he eventually allows Holden to stay. The events of the past few hours have left Holden drained, and he is feeling very lonely and depressed.

In chapter seven, Holden repeatedly mentions that he is unhappy.

He says that he is feeling lonesome and even mentions that he wishes he was dead. Although moodiness and angst have been synonyms for the word teenager for decades, it is not solely an attitude problem and is much more serious. The number of adolescents struggling with depression is constantly increasing, and despite the fact that mental illness is now more socially accepted, many teenagers do not get the help they need, because parents assume it is a part of the teenage angst. Furthermore, the main theme in the novel is protecting innocence, which is extremely relevant to our world, as there are so many incidences where young children are stripped of their innocence. An example would be the case of Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics national team doctor who according to Time magazine assaulted up to 265 individuals. During the period his sentencing was taking place, I watched some of the victim statements on the news, and was appalled by Nassar’s actions, as he took advantage of his power and groomed young victims to stay quiet amidst his horrible actions. Although he Catcher in the Rye was originally published in 1951, it still remains pertinent to our world, through its themes of innocence, and its portrayal of mental health in

teenagers.

I believe that the novel The Catcher in the Rye successfully portrays an adolescent struggling with his mental health, while also trying to come to terms with the fact that he is stepping into adulthood. Of course, everyone experiences alienation and loneliness, and the quote above is a great way to show such feelings. I also agree that we are a minuscule part of this world, and it is easy to feel that way at times. Lastly, I understand Holden’s feelings, as he feels as though he has lost Jane, one of the only people he feels close to other than his siblings.