The Catcher in the Rye

Other things to consider in the novel The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, would be the gains. When talking about the gains, we are talking about the gains of Holden Caulfield. Holden is the main character, and the story is told from his teenage point of view. In my opinion, the only things gained in the entire book were not tangible, but more like life lessons, skills, and emotions. Nothing is physically gained. One thing that Holden gains would be the sense of independence. He is already a little persnickety about his personal items, especially since he goes to boarding schools where he shares a roommate, but that is not raw independence. When he gets expelled from Pency, his school, Holden decides to wait a few days before he goes home to break the news to his parents. He does not want to stay in his dorm at the school, and he has no other place to go. His plan of action is to live in the heart of New York City until he can finally go home. Holden has to deal with keeping track of money, his belongings, and strangers that are less than friendly. He gets a real taste of what life is like when you are on your own. I think that it humbles him a little bit because he was a little overconfident at times. It probably scared him into appreciating his parents more, too. When he begins to gain the feelings and emotions of realizing what he wants in his life, he also begins to respect his little sister Phoebe, too. Even though she is a lot younger than he, Holden trusts, loves, and admires her more than any other person in his life. Phoebe is pretty much the only reason why he was finally convinced to go home and face his parents. Holden gained the knowledge to make decisions, and the emotions to love and respect everything he has going for him.