El Guardián Entre El Centeno

THE SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION OF HOLDEN CAULFIELD

Maurier David Ferrer Gómez

The controversy generated by the publication of the only novel by the American writer Jerome David Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, prevails after 60 years.

This controversy has changed over time, of course. At first, when it was published in 1951, the book caused commotion by its direct and sometimes filthylanguage, and without hesitation to address issues that were banned at that time: sexuality and the questioning of American society during those years. Moreover, nowadays the readings of the novel emphasize more towards the construction of adolescence in her main character, the obligatory change between childhood and adulthood.

Perhaps for this reason The Catcher in the Rye has left a legacy on manygenerations that followed its publication. Especially on “Person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior”1.

It is precisely Holden, the main character of this interesting novel, who leads us to reflect on this text about the transit from childhood to adolescence, but also exploring the world view of its protagonist and his relationship with the environment, togive a perspective on the sentimental education of the most recognized creation of J. D. Salinger.

In the novel Holden describes himself as a young guy of seventeen years old, who is six feet two inches and says it has a lot of gray hair on the right side of his head and having a very poor language. Furthermore, he defines himself as an illiterate, but who reads a lot. His personality highlynervous, sometimes coward.

About his relationships as affective as with the context can be said that while Holden is characterized as an average student, if not mediocre, who dislikes the hypocrisy of his surroundings like his classmates, teachers, sometimes his family,

1 Page 189 chapter 24.

the society itself, "I cannot stand that stuff. It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I gotcrazy "2 he said. Despite this, we cannot say that Holden is a rootless of the society.

And he is not simply because he is part of a traditional family, well established, financially solvent. In addition to this, Holden demonstrates a great affection for his little sister, Phoebe, likewise he considers his parents are good people and remember with appreciation his older brother who lives inanother city and his dead brother, Allie, who Holden usually speaks with. The thing about Holden is just about growing. This leads him to adopt behaviors that limit him to the simple cataloging of the Rebellion.

And that is not true also because as Holden face the problems of transition from childhood to adolescence, he is realizing that the reality of his time, is not the wonder that the adultsworld wants to sell, and as a result of these observations, Holden is becoming a kind of collective consciousness, I mean, what most people believe but nobody say.

For that reason I consider Holden as the critical voice of the time, and perhaps for the same reason, the voice of dissent, argumentative than he did win the admiration of many readers over the years. Therein lies the importance of artand literature in particular: to transcend time and keep alive the transgressive speech of the character.

Following are some excerpts from the novel that show us the truthfulness of this view: I am always saying. “glad to have met you” to somebody I am not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive you have to say that stuff, though”3. “Goddam money.

2 Page 14 chapter 2

3 Page 87chapter 12.

It always ends up making you blue as hell.”4, “Certain things they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone”5. “Guys that always talk about how many miles they get to a gallon in their goddam cars. Guys that get sore and childish as hell if you beat them at golf or even just some stupid game like ping...