The Catcher in the Rye

JD Salinger expresses a controversial, skeptical view of the world seen through the eyes of Holden Caulfield. Holden is a sixteen year old boy who jumps from numerous prep schools because of his failure and lack of interest in his education. He carries a pessimistic view of everyone around him except for children. Holden's cynical perspective on life causes his isolation from the rest of world. He searches for relationships but seems to fear intimacy because he ends up blocking people out with his bitterness and negativity. Although Holden appears as a gloomy teenager looking only for the "phoniness" in others, Salinger uses...