The name of this work is inextricably linked in the minds of modern society with the theme of growing up, becoming a person, gaining oneself. The analysis "The Catcher in the Rye" means returning to youth for the sake of understanding the main character, his psychology, subtleties and versatility of a ripening nature that is just being born.
For his, albeit not as long as we would like, creative career, Salinger managed to establish himself not only as a very mysterious, wayward and freedom-loving person. The fact that the author of The Catcher in the Rye (an analysis of the work will be presented in this article) was a real psychologist, subtly feeling every facet of the human soul, does not require any additional explanation.
What romance means to the whole world
The twentieth century, so rich in literary masterpieces in general, managed to give the world this amazing novel about growing up in the world of American reality. The analysis "The Catcher in the Rye", perhaps, should begin by determining its significance for world culture.
Just appearing on the shelves of bookstores, the novel managed to cause a real sensation among readers of all ages due to its deep psychological nature, relevance and full compliance with the spirit of the times. The work has been translated into almost all languages of the world and even now does not lose its popularity, remaining a bestseller in various parts of the globe. The analysis "The Catcher in the Rye" as one of the greatest works of American literature of the twentieth century is included in the compulsory program of schools and higher educational institutions.
Through the prism of an accomplished person
The narration in this work is conducted on behalf of a seventeen-year-old youth - Holden Caulfield, before whom the world opens up to a new future, adulthood. The reader sees the surrounding reality through the prism of his developing, maturing personality, which only takes the road to the future, saying goodbye to childhood. The world embodied in this book is unstable, multifaceted and kaleidoscopic, as is the consciousness of Holden, who constantly flows from one extreme to another. This is a story told on behalf of a person who does not accept lies in any of its manifestations, but at the same time trying it on himself, like a mask of an adult who sometimes wants to appear to be a youth.
The analysis "The Catcher in the Rye" is, in fact, the reader’s journey into the most hidden, deepest human experiences, shown through the eyes of a child, but not yet an adult.
Maximalism in the novel
Since the protagonist is only seventeen years old, the book is narrated accordingly. It either slows down, representing unprotected contemplation, it accelerates - one picture is replaced by another, emotions crowd out each other, absorbing not only Holden Caulfield, but also the reader with him. In general, the novel is characterized by an amazing unity of the hero and the person who picked up the book.
Like any young man of his age, Holden tends to hyperbolize reality - the Pansy school, from which he is expelled for poor progress, seems to him a real embodiment of injustice, pomp and lie, and the desire of adults to seem like those who they are not is a real crime in respect of honor, deserving only disgust.
Who is Holden Caulfield
In the novel "The Catcher in the Rye" the analysis of the protagonist requires a particularly careful and painstaking approach, because it is with his eyes that the world sees the reader. It is difficult to call Holden an example of morality - he is quick-tempered and sometimes lazy, inconsistent and somewhat rude - he brings his girlfriend Sally to tears, which he later regrets, and his other actions very often cause the reader to disapprove. This is due to his borderline state - the young man is already leaving his childhood, but is not yet ready for the transition to an adult, independent life.
Hearing accidentally an excerpt from a popular song, he finds, as it seems to him, his destiny, deciding to become a catcher in the rye.
The meaning of the name
In the original, the novel is called Catcher in the rye. Breaking into the text of the novel in the words of a popular song, this image repeatedly pops up in the minds of the young Holden Caulfield, who identifies himself with a catcher. According to the hero, his mission in life is to protect children from an adult, cruel world filled with lies and pretense. Holden himself does not seek to grow up and does not want to allow the completion of this process for anyone.
What did Salinger want to say with that name to the reader? “The Catcher in the Rye,” the analysis of which requires a comprehensive, broad approach, is a novel full of amazing symbolism and secret meanings. The image of a rye field over the abyss embodies the process of growing up a person, the final, most decisive step towards a new future. Perhaps this image was chosen by the author because, as a rule, young American boys and girls went for fields for secret dates.
Another symbol image
Ducks, it is not clear where to go in winter, is another no less important component of the Catcher in the Rye. An analysis of the novel without its consideration will be simply inferior. In fact, such a naive, a little stupid question tormenting the hero throughout the whole story is another symbol of his childhood, because not a single adult asks this question and can not answer him. This is another powerful symbol of loss, an irreversible change awaiting the protagonist.
Resolution of internal conflict
Despite Holden's very obvious attraction to some escapism, in the final of the novel he has to make a choice in favor of the transition to adulthood, full of responsibility, determination and readiness for a variety of situations. The reason for this is his younger sister Phoebe, ready for the sake of her brother to take such a decisive step, becoming an adult before this time comes. Admiring the wise girl on a merry-go-round over the years, Holden realizes how important the choice he is facing and the great need for a new world, a completely different reality.
This is what Salinger is told to the reader, "The Catcher in the Rye," an analysis of the work and its artistic identity. This is the path of becoming a life long, placed in three experienced by the main character of the day. This is a boundless love of literature, purity and sincerity, faced with such a multifaceted, versatile and complex world. This is a novel about all of humanity and about each person individually. The work, which is destined to become a reflection of the soul of so many generations.