the Catcher in the Rye (2) pg. 10 - 124

(note: any post made on a novel is intended for those who are reading along at the same pace or for a comparison of opinions after reading. If you are sensitive to plot spoilers please do not read)

By now I'm on page 124 of The Catcher in the Rye and I have changed opinions about the protagonist. He is not a brutal character as the language of the first few pages led me to believe. Holden comes across (to me) as a more gruff Forrest Gump. Innocent enough in his approach to life, but lacking in certain social graces that make one seem rough. I had also deemed Holden as a daft character upon his introduction, but later on in the novel I came to realize that he was intelligent in his own right. As a young character he has an honesty about himself and his response to others that most don't develop till later on in life. He sees things clearly and responds in a logical manner (albeit as I said earlier not the most graceful manner). It is interesting to see how the characters Holden comes across are described. Through Holden's eyes most of the people he interacts with are illogical and self-absorbed (it is most interesting to me because it makes me wonder if most of our own daily interactions come across this way to the other person involved).

Holden almost seems to be extremely neutral in most situations until he talks about his younger siblings. Salinger catches the reader by emotional surprise by having the protagonist address the reader directly(pg 49). Of course Holden is addressing the reader throughout the whole novel (as far as I am), but the movement of the narrative makes the audience almost forget until he says something directly connected to the reader, "You'd have liked him". It came as a slip to me and made me feel more empathetic with the lead character.

As far as all the characters are concerned Salinger has done beautifully in giving each character depth and personality. I would say this novel is very much character driven, more than plot driven (such as a suspense or sensation novel). Being almost halfway through the novel I'm still not 100% sure were the plot is headed (although one can take a guess), but I also am quite content. The situations that Holden finds himself in can be completely absorbing and easy to imagine, even though not "epic".