Holden Caulfield can't stand the world he lives in. He can't seem to find his place, but he really doesn't care, because the world is filled with phonies and people who rob children of their innocence. Holden is a 16 yr old kid who finds himself getting kicked out of a prep school. He overlooks the schools last football game from high atop a hill, but doesn't go
because he dislikes traditions. Instead he visits a teacher and gets bored so he comes up
with a lie to get out of his house. He is cynical, tries to act like an adult, but keps getting annoyed with everyone and everything around him. "people ruin everything" and "if you had a million years to do it in, you couln't rub out even half the 'fuck you' signs in the world" are two of his view points in the book which I loved. Holden is one of my favorite characters ever,
he called Them like he saw them. John Lennon's assasin sat down after murdering the famous icon and read this book right up until the police arrived and arrested him. John Hinckley who
tried assaniating President Reagan also referred to this book and specifically to Holden Caulfield. Holden wondered where the ducks went in the winter time and wanted to be the person who caught the childrens bodies from falling over the rye. The first person narration by Holden and the stream of consciousness flow are what makes this book work.
In the end I think Holden resents sharing because he says"Don't ever tell anybody anything". Salinger never shared any information about his famous book and became a
strange anti socil hermit himself. Was Holden Salinger? We'll never know, but this book
has sold over 58 million copies; and still sells two hundred and fifty thousand copies a year so people can discuss this strange kid and his beliefs.