The Character of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in The Rye

The Catcher in the Rye takes place during the late 1940s to early 1950s, in a post World War II era. This also took place during the Cold War. The book begins at Pencey Prep, an exclusive boarding school in New Jersey. Later Holden returns to his home town in NYC. “If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will.” Holden seems to not be afraid of death. He does seem to focus on death a lot, he has had a lot of death in his life though. His younger brother died of leukemia four years before we meet him. He witnesses a young boy’s suicide at prep school. And then there’s the whole little problem of World War II. On the other hand, he is fed up with people being phony and naive. He seems to have an opinion on everything. For a teenager, he has a mind beyond his years. “If you sat around there long enough and heard all the phonies applauding and all, you got to hate everybody in the world, I swear you did.” It seems like one of Holden’s major issues in Catcher in the Rye is that people-phonies go around pretending like major tragedies don’t happen every day: they cry at sad movies, but they don’t cry about the atomic bomb. During the time period, this book was written in heavily influenced the whole theme of the book. World War II and the upcoming Cold War helped influence Holden and his environment around him.

The Catcher in the Rye was published at a time when social rules served as a code of conformity for the younger generation. Because Salinger used slang and profanity in his text and because he discussed sexuality in an open way, some were offended. Another thing stated was that young white men were expected to earn a high school diploma, enter the competitive workplace, contribute to the economy, start a family, buy a home, and enjoy working a stable, good-paying job. Holden Caulfield rejects every aspect of the American Dream and refuses to conform to popular American ideals. “If I were a piano player, I'd play it in the goddam closet.” or “If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late?” His use of slang and profanity draws attention to himself, suggesting he is trying to create an impression of himself as tough and rebellious. Holden’s language also indicates his immaturity, or possibly a way to express his emotion. Whether it is rejecting the American dream or the way he chooses to express himself, there is a clear trend. It is clear he is trying to stay young, immature, and reject that he eventually needs to get and job and grow up.”Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies.” At the beginning of the book, it seems that Holden is reluctant to go out into the world and get a job or grow up. Holden rejects many of the values associated with the pursuit of the American Dream. He looks at the life his family leads and sees no value in becoming a corporate lawyer like his father, or a sellout to the Hollywood machine like his brother, D.B. Holden has bounced from school to school because of his efforts to delay his inevitable graduation from high school; graduation will mean that he is edging closer to becoming a man who chases money, traditionally a part of the American Dream.

The character of Holden Caulfield feels like a teen trying to figure out life and find himself. He is a confused teenager who is stuck between childhood and adulthood. He speaks in a way that feels real for him. Holden is very honest about his feelings, feelings most readers have experienced at one time or another. He is quick to dismiss both individuals and the adult world in general as “phony.” But his encounters with others don’t generally fall apart because he rejects or pushes away the other person. Instead, they fall apart because he behaves immaturely, indulging in outlandish or obnoxious behavior or making inappropriate choices until other people become bemused or angry with him. Ultimately, his refusal to grow up and enter the adult world is doomed to failure, which results in his complete breakdown.