The author uses many techniques to try and engage the reader in the story. Probably the main technique used is sadness. The author used a sort of sad and depressing tone in the story. I was so engaged in the book simply because I felt bad for the characters. I felt especially bad for Holden. He was always sad, lonely, depressed, and disappointed (Salinger 90). He only had a couple moments where he was really happy. I think that the author used the sadness to emotionally connect the reader to Holden. The author also uses a little bit of suspense to keep the reader engaged. Every book needs some suspense just to keep the reader on their toes at points. The most suspenseful part was probably when Sunny came to Holden’s hotel. After Holden refused to give her an extra five dollars, Sunny goes down and gets the elevator attendant. The attendant beats up Holden while Sunny takes an extra five dollars out of Holden’s wallet (Salinger 101). This was the most suspenseful part because I did not know if Holden was going to be alright after he was continually getting punched in the stomach and basically robbed (Salinger 103). He was scared at this point in the story, and the reader could tell. I think the author uses points of happiness in the book too so that the whole story is not that depressing. When Holden helps out the nuns in the diner, the reader really gets a chance to see a softer side to him. Also in the very end of the story where Holden connects with his sister and they become very close, the reader can see how happy he is by the change of tone in the story. The techniques were very effective throughout the story because each technique followed the sequence of events. There was an equal balance of each technique that really made the book come together and enjoyable to read. Without these techniques, I think the theme of the story would have been unclear.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
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