Blog #32: The Catcher in the Rye

I noticed that there were many causes and losses, but not so much many gains throughout The Catcher in the Rye. The very first cause that I noticed was Holden's failing out of the Pencey Academy. This caused the whole plot of how Holden was going to adjust and make it back home after his parents had time to digest the news of his failure. I think that Holden was a very pessimistic person because he never saw the positive side of any situation. I think that because he was rebelling against the "phony" people of the world, Holden felt like he has to had that bad to the bone kind of attitude towards life. I think that the book really lacked the positive thoughts and feelings. Most of the time the main character is focused on the good things in life, but for Holden, that is not the case. I think that Holden loses hope. He thinks that because he cannot focus and do well in school that he is just going to give on school and try to get along in life without proper schooling. He says that he will just stand at the edge of a cliff and catch the children that are about to fall off. I think that this symbolizes the fact that some children "fall" into the adult world before they are old and mature enough to handle it. Okay, now for the gains in the novel. I think that Holden felt joy in the lyrics of the song which went, " If a body catch a body coming through the rye," (Salinger 150). Holden said that the song made him feel not so depressed inside. The other gain that I thought effected Holden was when his sister Phoebe was riding the carousel. He found so much joy in watching her go around on the brown horse that he sat there in the rain almost crying because he was so happy.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Back Bay, 2001. Print.