The "Catcher in the Rye" in the Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield is a deeply troubled character who may appear hateful of the world, but deep down inside, he remains a compassionate character. His desire to be the “catcher in the rye”, saving others from the worries of adulthood, is one of the main themes of the novel and shows Holden’s caring but flawed attitude towards others. Throughout the novel, Holden tells the reader about his struggles and his alienation from the rest of the world. He considers others to be phonies and makes fun of them by acting similarly phony. And when he is given good advice, he doesn’t seem to take it to heart. But it’s not necessarily as though he hates these people. It’s simply as though he is distrustful of the world and that (almost) nobody can understand his true feelings. This distrust of the world can be traced back to his childhood. He still struggles to get over his brother’s death, which leads to him shutting himself off from the rest of the world. This makes him unable to connect with oth