Catcher in the Rye Comparison to Author - Essay Example

(Assignment) Catcher in the Rye J.D Salinger was born on January 1919 in the district of Manhattan in New York as son of Solomon Salinger and Marie. The ‘Catcher in the Rye’, one of the most significant works of Salinger features Holden Caulfield as the central character. The novel explains the experiences of rebellious protagonist student Holden most of which resembles Salinger himself. In fact, Salinger’s work Catcher in the Rye is claimed as an autobiographical one. The experiences of sixteen year old Holden reflect character and actions of Salinger in his youth.

As Bloom (p.18) comments, “in addition to creating a maelstrom of controversy in its critical reception”, the novel clearly tell us about Salinger’s creativity, nature, and achievement. To illustrate, as a student, Salinger was considered poor in academics and he was criticized as the most worthless English student by one of his professors. He had to change a number of schools and had an unhealthy relationship with parents. In his novel, Salinger gave an identical image to Holden Caulfield.

Holden also experiences such failures in his academics; fails to prove him better student and he was also sent away from parents for his studies. However, as Graham describes Holden, he was “expelled from his school, Pency Prep, just before the Christmas holidays for flunking everything else except English” (2007, p. IX).Salinger tried to explain much of his personal feelings and perceptions through Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye. “What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by.

I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you will feel even worse” (Salinger, 2007, chapter 1). The character Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye belongs to upper class family in New York similar to the birth of J.D Salinger in a financially sound family in New York. There seems to be close likeness between the childhood of Salinger and that of Holden in the novel.

Salinger had much attraction towards young children and young women. This fascination and passion is well depicted in the novel as Holden’s pull towards children and women. Holden’s innocent love projects real life interest and affection of Salinger to children. Salinger’s love affair with eighteen year old Joyce Maynard is reflected as Holden’s love foe Jane in the novel. Holden reflects “I was half in love with her by the time we sat down. That’s the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they’re not much to look at, or even if they’re sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell are you. Girls. Jesus Christ.

They can drive you crazy. They really can” (Salinger, 2007, chapter 10). In short, The Catcher in the Rye still remains one of the most controversial novels of the twentieth century for its highly genuine exploration of human feelings. Despite all criticism, the novel gained unusual popularity among readers of all segments. Obviously, the main character of the novel Holden Caulfield reflected the life experiences of Salinger, the author. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. The Catcher in the Rye, Bloom’s Guides.

New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print. Graham, Sarah. J. D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.US: Routledge, 2007. Print. Salinger, Jerome, David. The Catcher in the Rye. NY: Langenscheidt, 2007. Print.