The Three Catchers In The Rye

In my life so far, I have gone through three distinct interpretations of JD Salinger’s classic, The Catcher In The Rye, particularly due to being an exceptionally privileged white male. They can be summarised approximately as follows (in chronological order from my first read as a teenager until now):

• Holden Caulfield finds himself alienated by his peers and surroundings, and really struggles to fit in and find his place in this world. He is better than those around him, and the fault is all theirs, they are the ones that need to change in order to appease him, and they would, if only there were as intelligent and self-aware as he is. He really sees the world clearly and it’s so refreshing to read a novel where I can empathise so strongly with the protagonist! The world is unfair and Holden deserves all the sympathy going. I am exactly like Holden.

• Holden Caulfield alienates himself from his peers and surroundings, and refuses to fit in or find his place in this world. He is not better than anyone around him, and the fault is all his own, he needs to bury his self absorbed sense of narcissism, grow up and change in order to integrate with his social environment. Holden is an asshole, an example of everything that is wrong with young privileged men, and needs to undergo a huge shift in perspective before I will have even one iota of respect for him. I am nothing like Holden.

• Holden Caulfield alienates himself from his peers and surroundings, and refuses to fit in or find his place in this world. He is not better than anyone around him, and the fault is all his own, he needs to bury his self absorbed sense of narcissism, grow up and change in order to integrate with his social environment. Holden is an asshole, an example of everything that is wrong with young privileged men, and needs to undergo a huge shift in perspective before I will have even one iota of respect for him. I am exactly like Holden.

It’s been about 10 years since I first read the book, so perhaps in another 10 years time I’ll have more thoughts about it. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated - as tiresome as that may be.