J. D. Salinger's Catcher In The Rye

J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, is a coming of age novel, narrated by Holden Caulfield a 17 year old teenager grappling with his transition into adulthood. Throughout the novel Holden tells us of his triumphs but mostly of his tribulations. Holden’s critical tone sets the mood for the novel in which he is constantly snarky and spiteful. Holden’s repetitive speech patterns demonstrate that his inability to change his ways of constantly criticizing everyone ultimately reflects his depression and insecurity, which is rooted in his troubled experiences. Salinger does this to convey that someone’s painful experiences can be projected onto others and used as a mechanism of self defense and as a reflection of their own troubles.
Holden consistently describes others as phony because he is insecure of his own social standing and is unsure if he is worthy of a title that is above being a phony. …show more content…
Piggy fell behind all of his peers because of his physical limitations, which ultimately made him feel as if he had no power. To Piggy when he had the conch he had power: “ ‘I got the conch ,’ said Piggy indignantly. ‘You let me speak!’ ‘The conch doesn’t count on top of the mountain,’ said Jack, ‘so you shut up.’ ‘I got the conch in my hand.’ … ‘I got the conch--’ Jack turned fiercely. ‘You shut up!’ ” (42). Piggy is constantly being put down because he is different and and is not always able to keep up with the others. Piggy always struggles to share his ideas and find his own voice in the group. Because of his struggle for power and confidence Piggy latches on to the conch as a symbol of power. Like Holden, Piggy is very insecure of his place in the world, and this insecurity is reflected in his constant repetition that he has the conch. For Piggy, when he is in possession of the conch he has power, and his constant repetition of this is to cover up his