Discussion Question 8- The Catcher in the Rye

This question is hard to answer because the book was not focused on addressing main events in history. There were really no specifically historical events explained. The book was more themed based. Therefore, I do not think the book did a good job in accurately displaying events in history. The main character, Holden, did not really associate with many people in the book. There were a few that stood out, but mainly he kept to himself. Since the story is told from his point of view, it is hard for the reader to develop a sense of the people around him. The reader only knows about the other people through Holden’s eyes, so it is hard to make an accurate judgment of character. I think the author could have put more relationships in the story, but it would loose some of its powerful theme. The main relationship present is between Holden and the people he surrounds himself with. The relationship all depends upon the people. When Holden is with a girl, he gets really nervous. He does not really know what to do, which is normal. He can call a girl on the phone when he feels like it, dance with them if he wants to, or even pay for one to come to his hotel, but he becomes very bored with the girls, or simply looses interest. The teachers Holden visit give him a lot of advice. He has a different attitude toward a couple of his teachers. The teacher in the beginning was simply guilt tripping Holden and he notice. He did not like that teacher very much. The teacher in the end of the book was very understanding of Holden and he was welcoming and generous. When Holden was with his sister, he was a completely different person. He was nice around her. He sought out the little things that made her happy. He bought her a record and even though it broke, she still took it and was very grateful. When Holden asked her to dance you could tell she was so happy. Even at the end of the book when Holden took her to the zoo and got her a ticket to the carousel. He focused on the things she liked and once he saw her having fun he became very happy. Overall, the relationships in the story depended upon who Holden connected with the best.

 Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company. 1951.