The Catcher In The Rye Analysis

Register to read the introduction… Salinger shows his attentiveness toward the rhythms of speech by using italics quite frequently in order to let the reader know when a character is placing emphasis on a word, or even on just a syllable, in dialogue. The emphasis of a single syllable shows a realism to the dialogue of The Catcher in the Rye rarely seen not only in the works of Salinger?s time, but also before and after it. Salinger?s emphasis on the rhythm of speech is mirrored in his emphasis on the rhythm of thought, which, in turn, emphasizes the importance of both. Salinger uses paragraph breaks not only to change from one subject to another, but also to accentuate certain thoughts. In another demonstration of his literary brilliance, Salinger shows that he knows the human mind by using shorter paragraphs for more important matters. Shorter paragraphs automatically and subconsciously gain more importance in the mind than longer paragraphs. When one skims a written work, shorter paragraphs always tend to be read more thoroughly than longer ones. That is when this idea becomes apparent.
Salinger has created a character so …show more content…
Not only is Salinger?s sense of humor universally funny, but he also knows how, when, and where to deliver it. The Catcher in the Rye alludes to a wide variety of some very serious subject matters, which can (and has in many cases) lead to a very depressing, boring tale. Being the great American writer that Salinger is though, he is mindful of this and is aware of the best way to avoid it?humor. Salinger knew exactly when to break the heaviness of the subject matter with a quick joke or a humorous dialogue. A great example of Salinger?s aptitude in the subject is the classic conversation between Holden and the cabbie, Horwitz about the way that the fish in the water stay alive in the