Holden Caulfield Narrative Analysis

One of the widely taught novels in English speaking countries, J.D Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye deals with Holden Caulfield’s’ past trauma which is the triggering factor in his depression, anxiety and alienation. Holden tells a unnamed person what has happened in the three days prior to his mental breakdown. Through Holden’s relatable characteristics and Salinger’s narrative treatment, the book continues to engage audiences throughout generations. The way that Salinger writes gives the audience a very personal and insightful look into what he is feeling. It’s told in first person and because of this, you feel more of a connection to Holden. Salinger also utilises digression as an element of style. It feels like it really is coming from the …show more content…
Holden is so desperate for company that even though he doesn’t like the people he’s with and they make him more and more depressed, he still stays with them. An example of this is when Holden is coming back from Ernie’s bar in a depressed state when he meets a man in the elevator called Maurice who asks him he he’d like a prostitute. Holden agrees without really thinking because his depression clouds his …show more content…
This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister Phoebe. This shows Holden’s disillusionment towards both adult and childhood. In a way, Holden already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe but isn’t ready to immerse himself into it. The concept of teenage hood was only created in the 1950’s His disillusionment towards his childhood is because he was disappointed by it and therefore stuck in a childlike