Holden Caulfield Controversy

Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, we see the narrator, Holden Caulfield, sink deeper and deeper into his mental instability. This began when Holden lost his brother, and went on as he started his adventure, fearing he would lose the rest of his family as well. Though this causes him not to be a very reliable source, it does make him more relatable to the book’s teenage audience. In your teenage years, you begin to question not only yourself, but the world around you, which can be seen through Holden's constant hypocrisy, angst, and overall sense of rebellion throughout the novel.

The Catcher in the Rye has made itself very well known for a multitude of reasons. Not only has the novel been banned on many occasions, but the writing style itself is also unique. As Holden writes the novel, almost like a journal, he takes down every thought that comes to mind. It is because of this that his telling is filled with random thoughts, as he is frequently sidetracked or distracted. So, being inside the main character's head, you truly get to know everything about him- all the good and the bad. You soon learn that Holden Caulfield tends to be a …show more content…
Throughout the plotline it can be seen piling up, which may have very well contributed to his decreasing state as the plot goes on. This most likely all started, once again, with the death of his brother. With his parents in mourning, the attention would obviously not be on him. So, when he was still recoiling from the event, they were not really there to support him. Though he understood this, it was clear Holden still somewhat held this against the two of them. He was just a child at the time, and needed someone to blame for his sibling’s death. So, this began, and with it Holden would resort to outside sources to drown his pain, such as drinking, and, as previously mentioned,