Many recall the death of J.D. Salinger several weeks ago. One of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century Salinger continues to inspire readers today. ? While he spent the latter half of his life avoiding the spotlight Salinger’s short stories novellas and celebrated coming-of-age novel “The Catcher in the Rye have secured him a lasting legacy in literature, entertainment and American culture. ?
The Catcher in the Rye” follows Holden Caulfield an affluent depressed 16-year-old as he wanders New York City after his expulsion from Pencey Prep an institution Holden found to be full of superficial “phonies.” Reflecting on his “lousy” childhood and assessing the relationships in his life Holden is ultimately overwhelmed with the realization that the adult world is corrupt and that he is incapable of warding off its evil. ? Many readers in the past half century have connected with the Holden archetype as people see a bit of themselves in the maladjusted rebel. ?
“There’s a little Holden Caulfield in all of us Craig Detweiler, director of Pepperdine’s Center for Entertainment, Media and Culture, said. Bored detached and fighting off feelings of hopeless superiority Salinger correctly identified the misanthropic narcissist in us all.” ?
Dr. James Thomas Pepperdine English professor said: “He’s the kind of character you’d like to hang around with as kind of a friend. You’re kind of afraid of him but you still like to be in his presence and hear his one-liners.” ?
Salinger exposed the teenage voice in the 1950s when the idea of the teenage years as a distinct period of life between childhood and adulthood was reemerging. ?
Although the “roaring 20s” witnessed the development of a rebellious youth culture in America responsibilities brought by the Great Depression and World War II forced children to become adults quickly lacking an appreciation for the period of development in between. ?
Salinger’s “Catcher” arrived at the ideal time as “the teenager” became a unique cultural entity. ?
“The best literature puts words to our inchoate feelings and Salinger certainly captured the angst of adolescence before people even realized that teenagers might be a separate subspecies Detweiler said. ? While Americans seem to connect with and appreciate the novel, academia may not necessarily follow suit. Catcher” makes its way into high school curriculums but college professors rarely assign it. ? Thomas posits that its being passed over by academia stems from Salinger’s half-century snub of the academic community; an “if you don’t need us we don’t need you” reaction. ?
Nevertheless Thomas says that the Holden character has lasting power with or without an academic alliance. ? “Holden Caulfield will never go away he said. He is as permanent American and enduring as Huck Finn— and you can achieve that without academia.” ? As a clutter of Salinger obituaries have appeared in media over the past few months many journalist-eulogizers have called Holden Caulfield’s timelessness into question. Some have suggested that Holden’s character resonates less as the generations pass and today’s teens find him annoying and under-medicated. ? Maybe Holden’s character achieved its cultural purpose and is no longer essential as Detweiler suggested. ? “I think we’ve entered a post-ironic age when sincerity is a newly discovered virtue Detweiler said.Holden was rightly disturbed by fakers and phonies. Maybe his cry for authenticity is actually going to be fulfilled with this current generation of students.” ? Dr. Thomas however is skeptical of the verdict that Holden is losing relevance with modern youths.”I would think it’s unfortunate that a generation of students would be so locked into their time and place that they couldn’t make that kind of projection he said. I still think it’s a fairly easy one to make with Holden Caulfield.” ? Many Pepperdine students appreciate the novel for its literary influence or personal significance. ? “I think historically it was a remarkable work of fiction for the time it was written junior Jeff Loveness said. The 50s are seen as a time of idealism but Salinger wrote a character that didn’t see it that way. Holden saw through the hypocrisy of the world he lived in and tried to escape it.” ?
Junior Shannon Rooney echoed the appreciation for the Salinger’s famous literary character. ? “J.D. Salinger understands the feelings of alienation and confusion and conveys them so that people can relate to Holden she said. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is a book about teen rebellion. Everyone has an ability to relate to Holden because everyone has experienced a period of rebellion in their lives.” ? Others found that Holden’s complaining outweighed the novel’s positive characteristics. ?
“He just isn’t my style of character junior Brittany Seed said. He was always so pessimistic and what others might see as courageous honesty from Holden Caulfield I interpreted as being whiny and immature. Holden Caulfield is supposed to be this paradigmatic teenager everyone could relate to but teenagers don’t really speak that way or talk about some of the things he does.” ?
Despite his gloom and anger Holden Caulfield’s fame has all but eclipsed that of the late recluse who wrote him into existence. Thomas credits this triumph to Holden’s honest and relatable view of the world. ?
“His heart is always good and I think that is a universally appreciated aspect of the book Thomas said. He’s often unfair and judgmental but we probably agree with his dichotomy of who’s phony and who’s nice. We certainly resonate with his love of youth and innocence and his sister Phoebe his wanting to take all of the profane off of all the walls of all the areas where children play and his desire to be the catcher in rye.”