Catcher In The Rye Summary

The Catcher in the Rye

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Royal N.S.W. Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, 1980.

Introduction Holden Cawfield, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, desires to grow in relationships with others but finds himself failing every time. J.D. Salinger, the author of this story, writes and explains the life of a 16 year old boy growing up in the 1940s in New York City. The Catcher in the Rye is about alienation and the lack of acceptance Holden receives from his peers and his family. Due to Holden not applying himself academically, he has failed out of many high-class boarding schools. The main character Holden is assumed to be writing his story from a mental institution, but after finishing chapter

Immediately after getting expelled Holden finds himself on the top of a hill during a class football game. All students are gathered in the bleachers, but Holden isolates himself far away from them, as if he is looking down on them from the hill. Once he realizes this will be one of the last days at Pencey-Prep, he packs his bags and makes his way to an old teachers house to say goodbye. Mr. Spencer, Holden’s old school teacher, is sick in bed with a cornice cold. He begins to scold Holden for his choices and the fact that he doesn't apply himself at all in school, even though he is very smart. Even though it was Holden’s idea to go see Mr. Spencer he tried getting out of the room as quickly as he could so he could avoid talking about more school. Holden also didn’t enjoy how old Mr. Spencer was or how he had a bumpy chest and blue hands. Holden appears to have a hard time applying any advice given to him, instead he tries to avoid

At the end of the story, when he is at the zoo with Phoebe, he finally realizes he is happy. His sister means the world to him and cares about him more than anyone. Due to the loss of Holden’s brother he doesn't try to build relationships because they could be ruined just as his and his brother’s was. Holden got himself involved with people who didn’t really care about him, which made him unable to build relationships.
Evaluation
The story The Catcher in the Rye is a well developed book about alienation and its affects on a person. J.D. Salinger write his story from was seemed to be a mental institution hospital bed but was actually a TB rest home. The book was depressing but motivating at the same time. A connection with Holden is made early on in which you want him to succeed. The struggles that Holden goes through are very possible but also out of the ordinary. Overall this is a great