Jerome David Salinger The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

Bibliography: J.D.Salinger:Kdo chytá v žitě,Slovenský spisovateľ,Bratislava 2000.

Salinger's publications:The Catcher in the Rye(Kto chytá v žite),Nine Stories(Deväť poviedok),Franny and Zooey,Raise High the Roof Beam,Carpenters(Zodvihnite vysoko povalený trám,tesári),Seymour:An Introduction(S.:Úvod)

Jerome David Salinger, American novelist, was born in 1919 in New York. He has grown up in trader’s family. He has studied at universities in New York and Columbia, where he has taken a course in short story writing. He has published short stories in various magazines including the Saturday Evening Post. During World War II. he has served in the U. S. infantry on the western group of armies in Europe. After the war he has started writing literature, mainly psychological novels and tales, in which he dedicates his attention to children’s and youngsters’ problems. Major success came with the novel The Catcher in the Rye, which was written in 1951. The success of this novel really surprised him.
Nowadays he lives alone in simple house in New Hampshire and he refuses any interviews and publicity.

The Catcher in the Rye novel is divided into 26 short parts. Author used here very vivid spoken language with huge amount of slang words and not rarely also vulgarisms, what is typical for thousands of young Americans. The story is told in I-narration.
The title of the book is perceived as motto of the novel, while the rye-field is symbol of America in the past, when it wasn’t destroyed by factories and desire of money.

The story line:

The psychological novel The Catcher in the Rye tells story about one young, 16 years old boy Holden Caulfield, son of solvent parents. Parents wanted him to study the best schools, but it wasn’t purpose of his youth and life.
It is Saturday evening and there is a football game at Pencey Prep School. Everybody is there except Holden. He’s found out he’s been expelled from school again so he goes and says good-bye to his history teacher. He is supposed to stay at school until Tuesday when the Christmas holiday starts. But after he gets back to his room and finds out that Strandlater has left for date with Holden’s old friend Jane, he decides to leave the school tonight and spent couple of days in the city (N.Y.C.). He is fed up with the school life and people that surround him. He gets into fight with Strandlater and afterwards he packs his suitcase and leaves the school disappointed.

He takes a taxi to the station and gets on the train to the city. Here he meets a woman, who turns out to be a mother of one student from Pencey, which Holden happens to know. He makes up some stories about the woman’s son just to impress her. Afterwards he regrets it. When he gets to New York he goes to a hotel to spend the night there. He realizes he doesn’t want to sleep yet so he decides to head for down town to the club. Here he meets some young ladies, who according to his opinion “are not quite as good looking”. However; he invites one of them to join him for a drink. But as soon as she starts talking he dislikes her and decides to leave the club. Although he is under age he goes to another club where he asks for some (alcohol) drink. He meets one of his brother’s ex-girlfriends, but doesn’t feel like talking to her since his brother lives in Hollywood now and Holden doesn’t want to explain her everything. He takes a taxi to go back to the hotel. The elevator man offers him a prostitute for 5 dollars. He accepts the offer and goes to his room to get ready for the “lady”. When she comes he is very nervous. He reveals he is still a virgin although all the time until that moment he has been talking about the girls as if he’d had some experiences with them. He doesn’t really want to have sex with the prostitute. He just needs someone to talk to. But the girl doesn’t understand him, so she leaves after taking the money. The next morning, when he wakes up, he is really depressed and thinks about committing a suicide. After a while of thinking he calls his ex-girlfriend and makes a date with her. He still has a lot of time to spend until the date, so he decides to spend it by just wandering in the streets. He takes his suitcase and puts it to “one of those boxes” on the station. He decides to have breakfast at the station. Here he meets two nuns and has a really nice conversation with them. Afterwards he goes to buy a ticket for the play he is to see with Sally. Then he buys a record for his little sister.
On the date with Sally, after the play, when they are sitting in a restaurant and eating, he suddenly feels he’d like to spend the rest of his life with her. He doesn’t even like her that much, he just feels like it at the moment, so he asks her to leave the city with him and go west. Once again he isn’t understood. Sally gets upset and leaves him sitting there alone. Late Holden calls his friend and meets him in a bar. His friend is in a hurry so after a while of talking Holden finds himself once again alone.

He gets depressed and drunk. Later, when he feels sober enough, he wants to see his little sister without the parents knowing about it. He sneaks in the house and wakes Phoebe up. Parents aren’t at home, so they can talk freely. She is very pleased to see him, but knows that he’s supposed to be at the school. She realizes he’s been kicked out again, gets very upset and starts to cry. Holden is trying to explain her everything and she seems to understand. She is the only one who understands him.
When the parents return, he hides himself in the closet until everything quiets down and than calls his former teacher Mr.Antolini. Mr.Antolini wants to see Holden. So Holden leaves Phoebe and goes to visit the teacher. They talk a lot about life and future and Mr.Antolini assures Holden that he can stay for the night. Holden falls asleep and is woken up by his teacher. Mr.Antolini is sitting next to him petting his hair. Holden jumps up and confused leaves the house. He spends the rest of the night at Central Station.
Next day he makes a decision. He wants to leave the city and go west – hitch hiking. He leaves a note for Phoebe to meet him in the park. He wants to say good-bye. She wants to leave with him and it is impossible for Holden to convince her not to do so. He knows he can’t’ go anywhere like this. They have an argument. When Phoebe refuses to answer, he simply walks away realizing she will follow him. They both walk on different sides of the street. They go to the Zoo, where they start to talk to each other again. Phoebe isn’t angry anymore. She goes to a marry-go-round and while she is riding it Holden realizes he won’t go anywhere. When Phoebe comes back he promises her to go home, maybe to visit a psychologist and return to school later. In the very end Holden, the narrator, reveals that he is actually all the time of retelling the events of those couple days in some kind of psychiatric institution, talking to a doctor (possibly). We can’t be sure about the ending. You simply have to interpret it by yourself.



Characters:

Holden Caulfield
- Main protagonist, 16 years old boy. He is quite addicted, smokes a lot and drinks alcohol more than is proper. - He is from time to time rude and cheeky, but in most cases he behaves politely. - He is talkative nature, but his vocabulary isn’t as excellent as it should be. His favourite words for example are “a tak”, “bohatstvo” and many others. He uses these words in his narration as often as possible.

Holden has never been really interested in school. Actually he has almost always flunked all his subjects and now he has been kicked out of the school for the third time. He has no ambitions to life. He complains about the world and people around him a lot. He feels nobody (except maybe his little sister Phoebe) understands him and that he doesn’t understand others.
He pretends to be someone else. He acts as if he were “a tough guy”, but in reality he is very sensitive. You can tell just by the things he is talking about. He concerns himself with such details that might be insignificant to others. On the other hand, he finds things that are serious for other people funny, because he sees the irony of it. He seems quite intelligent (even though his vocabulary is limited), but sometimes he acts as if he were younger. He asks needless questions and gives childish arguments. (For example when he asks the taxi driver where the ducks go when the lake freezes over)
He is rebellious but he still obeys some rules of good behavior. He swears a lot; however.

Doesn’t like almost everybody. He has no respect for nearly anything, hates his school, teachers, schoolmates, successful people and everything commercial. Sometimes it seems that he hates the entire world. The exceptions are just few special people who he acknowledges, like one professor from school, some members of family.
(„Bohatstvo, ako ja školu nenávidím! A nielen školu. Všetko. Nenávidím život v New Yorku a vôbec. Nenávidím taxíky a autobusy na Madison Avenue so šoférmi, čo večne na teba revú, že sa vystupuje vzadu, nenávidím výťahy, v ktorých sa musím voziť, ak chcem ísť von, predavačov u Brooksa, čo ti donekonečna skúšajú nohavice, nenávidím...“PG:133)

When his beloved sister Phoebe ask him why he hates everything and what would he want to do,Holden answer:
(„- Poznáš tú pesničku Keď raz človek niekde v žite chytí človeka?
- To má byť Keď raz človek niekde v žite stretne človeka. To je báseň. povedala Phoebe.
- Proste ja si v jednom kuse predstavujem, ako sa davy malých deciek hrajú na takmom velikánskom žitnom poli. Tisíce malých deciek, a široko-ďaleko ani jediného dospeláka, myslím teda okrem mňa. A ja Ti stojím na kraji nejakej strašnej priepasti. A vieš, čo musím robiť? Musím chytiť každého, kto sa priblíži k tej priepasti. Rozumieš, ak uteká a nedáva pozor, kam uteká, ja musím odniekiaľ vyliezť a chytiť ho. Toto by som robil od rána do večera. Chytal by som tie decká v žite.

Viem, že je to bláznovstvo, ale je to jediná vec, ktorú by som fakt rád robil.“PG:137)

He is also very disgusted of dissimulation of people:
( „V jednom kuse niekomu hovorím, teší ma, že vás poznávam, hoci ma to vôbec neteší. Ale ak chcete prežiť, musíte také veci hovoriť.“PG:110)

He isn't so corrupted as other people,however he consider it as disadvantage:
( „Zväčša to býva tak, že keď ste s dievčaťom a keď sa s ňou dostanete tak ďaleko, že by ste to už-už mohli urobiť, začne vás to dievča prosiť, aby ste prestali. Mojím nešťastím je, že naozaj prestanem. Väčšina chalanov neprestane. Ja za to nemôžem.“PG:87)

He hates every performers,who is selfish and egocentric,he also knows that success has corrupted them:
( „Prisámpánubohu, keby som ja bol klavirista alebo herec, alebo niečo také a všetci tí analfabeti by si mysleli, že som úžasný, ja by som to tuším neprežil. Nechcel by som ani, aby mi tlieskali. Ľudia nikdy nevedia, čomu majú tlieskať. Keby som ja bol klavírny virtuóz, asi by som hral niekde v skrini.“PG:92)

He see,that the whole society is completaly illogical,he doesn't understand it and he doesn't want to be part of this masquerade:
(„Potom som si predstavoval, ako ma celá tá banda pichne na nejaký blbý cintorín a ako tam budem ležať pod nejakým náhrobkom, na ktorom bude vyryté moje meno a tak. Obklopený samými umrlcami. Bohatstvo, keď je raz človek mŕtvy, tak má na večné veky po chlebe. Keď raz naozaj umriem, pevne dúfam, že sa nájde nejaký rozumný človek, ktorý ma jednoducho hodí do rieky, alebo kam. Hocikam, len nech ma nepichnú na nejaký blbý cintorín. V nedeľu ta chodia ľudia a kladú vám na brucho kvety a podobné somariny. Kto stojí o kvety, keď je mŕtvy? Nikto."PG:151)

He looks like he hates everything and everybody,but I think it is not true:
(„Ale o tej nenávisti, v tom sa fakt mýlite. Teda že budem nenávidieť každého, kto hrá futbal tak. Fakt sa mýlite. Ja málokoho nenávidím. Ak aj niekoho nenávidím, tak len chvíľu, ako napríklad Stradlatera, jedného chalana z Pencey, alebo toho druhého, Roberta Ackleyho. Niekedy som ich nenávidel, to pripúšťam, ale netrvalo to dlho, rozumiete. Po chvíli, ak som ich nevidel, ak neprišli do izby, alebo ak som ich niekoľko ráz nevidel v jedálni, akosi mi chýbali. Fakt, normálne mi chýbali."PG:146)



- He has slight inclination to paedophile- does like children. But it isn’t as bad as it might impress. He thinks that children are good, not perverted by present society, or something like it. As a purpose of his life he sees protection of small children from the world. The most of all kids he loves his younger sister Phoebe. Identically he likes his brother Allie, who was presently few years after death.

- Often underrates himself. He is sure that he is fool; therefore he can’t achieve good results at school. - Don’t know what he wants. In every free minute he thinks about something, speculates, meditates, philosophises.

Phoebe Caulfield
- Holden’s only 10 years old sister, but she is very mature, sensible and wise. She reaches good results at school, not as her brother. - Likes her brother like he loves her.She is good itself,because she can sacrifice for Holden:
(„Phoebe, ty si tu fajčila? Povedz mi pravdu, slečna. -Prosím? -Nepočula si? -Na chvíľku som si zapálila. Spravila som jedno puf a potom som vyhodila cigaretu oknom. -Prečo, môžeš mi to láskavo prezradiť? -Keď som nemohla zaspať."PG:140)
(Holden smoked in her room,but she didn't want to disclose Holden.)

- A little head-strong.
- She is always trying to change Holden's mind in order to think more about his future life. Allie Caulfield
- Holden’s brother, currently dead. He died for leukaemia. - During his life he was very clever, skilful and spry boy. Holden liked also him very much and he psychically went through it really hardly. Mr. Antolini
- Holden’s teacher, one of small group of people, who Holden likes, because he respected him.
- Funny and very helpful and he try to advise Holden:
(„Zistíš, že nie si prvý, v kom ľudské konanie vyvoláva zmätok, hrôzu, ba hnus. V nijakom prípade nie si v tom sám, a toto vedomie ťa vzruší a povzbudí.“PG:145)

(„Nechcem ti nahovárať, že len vzdelanci a učenci môžu dať svetu niečo hodnotné. Nie je to tak. Ale tvrdím, že vzdelanci a učenci, ak majú navyše aj talent a tvorivú iskru, čo sa nanešťastie stáva zriedka, zanechávajú po sebe neporovnateľne hodnotnejšie záznamy ako ľudia, ktorí majú iba talent a tvorivú iskru. Vyjadrujú sa spravidla oveľa jasnejšie a vedia obyčajne vášnivo ísť za svojou myšlienkou až do konca.“PG:145)


Jane Gallagher
- Holden’s former girlfriend.
- She likes Holden, but she is interested mostly in herself, quite egoistic. Robert Ackley
- Holden’s neighbour at Pencey School. He wasn’t very popular, messy boy, dirty and unclear. - Eccentric, who enjoys irritating others with his disgusting behaviour. Conclusion:

In my personal opinion this novel is a lot original, but sometimes also rather weird. As far as main character is concerned, I didn’t like that his every second word was the same (I mean already mentioned “a tak” and others). I think that Holden was sometimes egoistic, sometimes neurotic and always buck passer.

For example when he says that he is fool or unwise, it is just alibi in order to not learn and excuse when he is once again kicked out of school.
He hates whole world and maybe he thinks how is he brilliant and excellent, but also he isn’t perfect. He doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think about his future life. He is destroying himself with smoking and drinking alcohol.
The novel is several parts chaotic, here and there dull and boring. On the other hand some parts and ideas of the novel are motivating and interesting and some were even humorous.
As well the point of the novel was remarkable. Right from the beginning I forgot it was written by J.D.Salinger, because I felt as if it were all written by Holden himself. The author gives you a clear idea of what is going on in Holdens mind.If I was him,I wouldn't do things,that he did,because in my opinion everyone has to adapt to society,otherwise he is about to be a beggar.However I see that every young man has to pass this difficult period of self-knowing.Everybody knows that society is corrupted,but nobody can change it.Holden's huge disadvantage is that he doesn't have any goals to the future,because if he had goals he wouldn't perceive oddments like human pretence and stupidity,but he would concentrate to his future and success.

Zdroje:

J.D.Salinger:Kdo chytá v žitě,Slovenský spisovateľ,Bratislava 2000 -