Holden Caulfield has been called “a mythic figure of adolescent rebellion in American culture” (Brookeman 57).  To understand what this might mean, we should look at his character both in terms of its psychology (the psychology of adolescence which seems often to predispose to rebellion) and of the culture against which he is rebelling.  What is there about his culture that would make him want to rebel?  Are his criticisms valid?

1.  Psychological issues: Is Holden crazy?  Is he a normal adolescent?

      A. Sheila Schwartz says: “Perhaps the greatest contribution of J.D. Salinger is that in The Catcher in the Rye he brushed aside the traditional American teenage boy named Andy Hardy and replaced him with a hero who sees, feels, and responds to the real world of the adolescent, who is in fact a real adolescent.” (2)  So she would argue that his is a "normal" adolescence, if such a thing can be.
         B. Holden tends to avoid social contacts, justifying this avoidance through his negative assessment of just about everybody and his own heightened sensitivity.  If one is excessively antisocial, it might be seen as a psychiatric disorder; but it is also "normal" for teenagers to try to distance themselves from the world of adults.  More problematic is his self-distancing from his peers - e.g., the other students at Pencey.
         C. Holden could be suffering from “identity confusion” in Erik Erikson’s terms - i.e., a failure to develop a sense of individual identity, which Erikson saw as the primary occupation of teenagers.  Holden tends to hold to romantic illusions rather than moving toward a more mature worldview.  In relation to his identity development or lack thereof, consider Mr. Antolini’s quotation from psychologist William Stekel: : “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”  Is there a point where Holden moves from the "immature" desire to die for a cause to the "mature" desire to live?
         D. The novel is full of images of “the fall” – from childhood into adulthood.  E.g., Holden's concept of the Catcher, whose purpose is to keep children from falling off the cliff, his concern about Phoebe falling at the end of the story, the warning from Antolini that he might be headed for the worst kind of a fall.  The fear of falling may be an expression of Holden's reluctance to enter into adulthood.  This reluctance leads directly to. . .
 
2. Imagery of death and sexuality: How does this reflect his psychological obsessions?  Are these part of “normal adolescence”?

 
          A. Death images.  Note Holden's slangy use of “death” terms - "she killed me," etc.; his association with the mummies, both in his history report and in his visit to the Egyptian tomb later in the novel; his connection to James Castle, who committed suicide (Castle was wearing Holden's sweater; elsewhere he imagines committing suicide himself); and most importantly, Allie’s death and his unresolved guilt over that event.  Strauch connects the mutilation motif to these guilt feelings, and sees the pond as a suicide image.
          B. Sexuality images.  Holden expresses interest to Ackley about joining monastery (which entails withdrawing from society and avoiding sexuality); he is fascinated with the nuns and with other nonsexual female characters like Jane (at least as he remembers her) and Phoebe; conversely, given opportunities for sex, as in the prostitute episode, he says or does something to avoid it; the change in wording of "Comin' Thro' the Rye" eliminates fairly obvious sexual references in Burns’ poem.
          C. Sterility images. Howell argues that the frozen pond in Central Park is an image of sterility, like Eliot’s Thames in The Waste Land (86).  So, too, the “frozen” images of the Indians at the museum may represent sterility, in that they are forever stuck in one position, unable to go forward to change or continue their lives.
 
3. Cultural Issues: What about the critique of society?  Is it valid?  Why or why not?


          A. Social conformity.  Is Holden himself a conformist?  How does he express nonconformity? (Hunter cap)  How does the society seem to conform?  Trowbridge: The cap “symbolizes his desire to break through the phony conventions of the world,” just as his expensive suitcases reflect his own tendency toward conventionality and phoniness (77).
         B. Holden belongs to a narrow subset of society.  Brookeman points out that his rebellion isn’t so much against society per se, but against the particular social milieu of the (upper middle class) prep school (58).   Poster does not see him as significantly different from those he criticizes: “It would be easier to credit his detestation of the ‘phony slobs’ who surround him if he were distinguished from them in any way but the weakness of his stomach.” (27)  Schriber also notes that Holden is bound by class and gender – why should he be representative of all American youth?
        C. “Phoniness.” French argues that Holden is guilty of just about every “phony” thing about which he complains of other people including sloppiness (losing the fencing equipment), lecturing Ackley, standing in other people’s light, overgeneralizing, failing to respond to other people’s requests until shouted at, and conversational reticence (109).  But French also says that Holden’s own failings do not abolish the faults he sees in the society around him (110).

A. Waller Hastings
Professor of English
Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD  57401

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