The Catcher in the Rye

I think that the author of the novel The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger, uses an obvious technique to engage the readers in the story. The story is told from the point of view of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy. Since it is written in first person, the reader feels like Holden is talking to them and personally telling his side of the story. It is definitely not written formally, either. Holden likes to use curse words, slang, and repeats himself a lot. I think he used the phrase “and all” about a million times throughout the book. Anyway, it is told as if a real teenage boy was sitting down with you, telling everything he can remember about a time in his life. I think that this certain feeling of almost a personal bond with the character keeps the readers engaged in the book. You would never interrupt someone or make them stop telling you a story (unless it was a really boring story), so why would you interrupt Holden from telling you his? It may not be the same, but I think the writing style has a lot to do with why this novel is so popular. Holden Caulfield is not your average character. He is a little quirky, sarcastic, and naïve at times, but he is very interesting because the reader gets to know all of his thoughts. Since this story takes place in the nineteen-fifties, I feel like not many books were written like this. Holden is very outspoken, and thinks and does whatever he pleases., whenever he pleases. I think that J.D Salinger made a character like this on purpose because it is different than every other story, and the uniqueness of his character makes readers interested in the plot of the story. I bet that J.D Salinger took a huge risk in writing like this in the fifties, and maybe that risk and small rebellion against “normal” society engages readers the most.