Summer Reading- The Catcher in the Rye

Much to my chagrin, the school authorities made the decision to remove The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, from the curriculum of English III, thus denying our class of the book several seniors called, "the best part of junior English." Undaunted by this, I determined to read The Catcher in the Rye on my own time as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The novel did not disappoint. Salinger's timeless story of a teenager who runs away from his boarding school due to his disgust with the "phonies" who inhabit it, despite its somewhat vague plot, introduced characters who resonated with me for some reason. Holden Caulfield, described by his author as "an ancient child of sixteen," is similar to most teenagers in the way he talks and acts. What sets him apart is the depth and complexity of his soul, which manifests itself in Holden's utter disdain for superficiality he encounters. The story is told entirely from his perspective and, more impressively, entirely in his highly distinctive form of prose. This device helps establish Holden as a sympathetic character, as one can almost hear the frustration and loneliness in his voice.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about The Catcher in the Rye is that very little of consequence actually happens in the book, yet the reader is compelled to keep reading, if only to continue hearing Holden's voice. The plot, such that it is, is quite simple: a teenager runs away to New York City and kills time for about a week. During this "adventure" he encounters a host of characters, ranging from a prostitute to a girl he knew from school named Sally. Holden finds something to dislike about almost all the people he meets. In fact, the characters themselves often take a backseat to Holden's assessment of them. For someone so young, Holden proves remarkably adept at evaluating people and looking beyond the obvious. Holden is no less critical in his tastes in music and drama, dismissing everyone from the lounge band in his hotel to the cast of a Broadway play. In doing these things, Salinger, through his harshly critical teenage narrator, cruelly satirizes modern culture and the people who comprise it.
What redeems the character of Holden Caulfield and, by extension, the entire book, is his often-overlooked sensitivity. Although it doesn't appear often, there are several small moments that reveal this side of Holden. For example, after getting beaten up by his roommate, Holden confesses, "I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth." His comments about sex also display a level of sensitivity unusual for a teenager. Another thing that sets our protagonist apart is his level of emotion when talking about something he cares about. When his roommate teases him about Jane, a girl Holden used to know, Holden snaps and tries to attack him. Although it is clear Holden doesn't like these qualities about himself, they go a long way towards making him a likable young man.
Although The Catcher in the Rye sometimes feels meandering and, quite often, frightfully lonely, the reader is fortunate enough to meet a truly unique character in the process. Holden Caulfield, in addition to being a inimitable social critic, proves to readers that one doesn't need perfect grammar to have the soul of a poet.